


A wolf in sheep's clothing

by sarcasmismyweapon



Category: Voltron: Legendary Defender
Genre: Alternate Universe - Canon Divergence, Dehydration, Emotional Hurt/Comfort, Family, Fluff, Friendship, Galra Keith (Voltron), Gen, Heat Stroke, Hurt Keith (Voltron), Hurt/Comfort, Injury, Keith (Voltron) Angst, Keith (Voltron) Has Abandonment Issues, Keith (Voltron) is Bad at Feelings, Keith (Voltron) is a Mess, Major Character Injury, Protective Shiro (Voltron), Quintessence (Voltron), Sarcasm, Space Dad Shiro (Voltron), Unconsciousness, the lions of voltron - Freeform
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-12-30
Updated: 2019-01-19
Packaged: 2019-09-30 19:44:39
Rating: Mature
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 4
Words: 21,402
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/17230058
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/sarcasmismyweapon/pseuds/sarcasmismyweapon
Summary: Alternate Universe-Canon DivergenceKeith is exposed to Quintessence after his battle with the druid, escaping back to the castle of lions he's confronted with a harsh reality. He's Galran, without any answers as to who he is and fearing further backlash from Allura and the other paladins Keith flees in Red. It's up to Shiro and the other Paladins to show him that he has a place in Voltron, no matter who his parents were.





	1. What lies beneath

**Author's Note:**

> This is an alternate universe-canon divergent fic. If you don't want to read something like that hit the back button because I don't want to have to sort through comments about how this isn't canon. I know that it's why I made it XD.
> 
> Okay, so this is my first Voltron fic, so I'll admit that I'm trying to get used to the characters while applying to my writing style. So I hope you all enjoy it. 
> 
> The fic takes place right after Keith has his little fight with the druid and is exposed to Quintessence, everyone makes it back to the castle and that's where our little story begins XD.

Escaping in the Green lion, Keith clutched his burned hand to his chest. It was a type of pain that he wasn’t even sure how to describe, it burned but it also felt like someone was tearing the very flesh from his bones. In lamens terms it hurt like hell, still, Keith bit his tongue and held on as Pidge got them the hell out of there.    
The druids attack was bad enough, Keith didn’t want to think about what that yellow liquid that had spilled all over him might do since it was on the open wounds of his hand. Taking a deep breath through his nose, Keith tried to keep his head clear despite the pain he was in.   
“You okay?”   
Keith hummed when pidge asked him a question, his eyes opening having not realized that he closed them. “Wha-Yeah. I’ m fine.” He frowned at himself for being so out of it, turning away from where Pidge was sitting in the pilot's chair, Keith stared out the nearest window and watched space go by. He jumped when the comms came to life behind him, lighting up a part of Pidge’s console it was Shiro. The black paladin looked tense, he was visibly sweating even while wearing his paladin armor.   
“We got out, but it was close.” He glanced behind him to where Alurra was seen leaning against the wall of the shuttle. “We’re headed back to the castle.” He twisted back around to face the camera. “Is everyone alright?”   
Another line of a comm connected. “We are so not doing that again.”   
“I agree.”   
Shiro smirked at the sound of Lance and Hunk chiming in.   
“We’re fine Shiro.” Pidge replied. “Well..” She twisted in her seat a bit. “I think Keith’s-”   
“I’m fine.” Keith snapped irritably from behind her.   
Pidge sent an irritated look back at Shiro. “We’re fine.” She said it in an overly sweet way that had Shiro shaking his head. “We’ll see you at the castle.”   
The comms went dead, leaving Keith to slump against the wall of the cockpit.   
“Are you really okay?” Pidge’s general concern for him was touching, but at the moment Keith was in too much pain to care.   
“I’m fine.” It was still just as firm, but his voice was softer. “Just get us home.”   
“Alright.” The green paladin nodded despite Keith most likely not seeing the gesture.    
The flight back to the castle was smooth, but Keith couldn’t relax enough to fall to sleep. The burning tearing sensation radiating up his hand was sapping all his energy. Carefully, he pulled the wounded hand away from his chest. Keith’s eyes widened at the sight of it, it was a lot worse than he remembered it being. It was also...Purple-ish? The burns must have eaten down farther into his flesh than he thought if he was seeing the dark tissue of his own muscle. Sighing in an irritated manner, Keith gently tucked the hand back up against his chest as if that would shield it from additional pain. It didn’t really work, but Keith kept it there anyway.   
  
*******   
  
Keith hissed when the Green lion touched down inside the castle’s hanger, gritting his teeth to cut off the noise. Pidge was already twisting about to stare at him in an intrigued and calculating manner when her eyes landed on his hand she gasped.   
“Keith.”   
He shook his head. “It’s fine.” He grimaced while climbing once more to his feet. “Let’s just catch up with the others...I’m sure Coran can do something about it or at least I hope he can, this shit stings.”    
Pidge gave a hasty nod even as the Green lion opened its jaws to release them into the hanger, Keith trailed out after her. Taking a deep breath of the recycled air, he wasn’t surprised when she went running off ahead of him quickly latching onto Hunk and Lance. The looks they sent him told him enough, she was telling them about how messed up his hand was. That was helpful. 

Sighing the Red paladin made his way to the bridge, he knew that would be where Coran was anyways. Not to mention Allura and Shiro would have headed straight there, they’d narrowly escaped the Galra ship so Keith would be glad to see them once more.    
He’d barely gotten five steps onto the bridge before he was halted by a shocked gasp, he looked towards Allura who was standing beside Coran, both had twin looks of horror on their faces.   
“It’s not as bad as it looks.” He grumbled. “Despite what Pidge might say.”   
Shiro turned from his console only to frown at the sight of his hand. “Keith, what happened?”   
Sighing Keith opened his mouth to reply only to freeze when Allura’s cold voice rang out in the room.   
“Did you think we wouldn’t find out?”   
Shiro and Keith both turned to stare at the princess, Hunk, Lance, and Pidge had come in behind Keith and were standing in silence behind him, just observing the conversation.   
“Find out what? I told you it’s not a big deal and I wasn’t trying to hide it in the first place.” He muttered back at her, waving his free hand at Pidge. “I didn’t die right, so it can’t be that bad.”   
Pidge huffed. “That’s not as reassuring you think it is.”   
Keith glared back at her. “It should be.”   
“How dare you step foot on this castle, to...Deceive us.”   
Now everyone was confused, all of the paladins stared back at Alurra who was being held back by Coran who looked as if he was actually afraid. His eyes were trained on Keith, just as Allura’s were.   
“Wha-”   
“Galra!...You’re Galra!” She pointed a sharp finger at his hand.   
Keith frowned in confusion even as he called back to the princess. “What the hell? No, I-”   
“You’re hand! Your hand, you can’t lie to me!”   
Keith glared only to shake his head. “I got burned on the stupid ship...There was yellow stuff in these giant tubes and the stupid druid-.”   
“Yellow? You didn’t say that.”    
Keith sent Pidge an annoyed look. “I was busy being attacked by a druid and then burned.” He waved his hand at her.   
She huffed. “What was it?”   
“I don’t kno-”   
“Quintessence.” Coran spoke softly, just barely loud enough for them all to hear.   
“Quin-what now?” Lance glanced between the stiff figures.   
“Quintessence, it's an energy source...Something the Galra have used in order to fuel their reign and keep Zarkon alive.” Allura stated in a cold tone. “It warps those who use it.”   
“Warps?” Hunk nervously repeated. “He’s not gonna like grow something right...Or lose something, like his fingers or-”   
“Really Hunk?” Keith huffed torn between amusement and frustration. “I’m not losing my fingers, they just hurt like hell at the moment.”   
“You dare lie to us?!”   
Keith sent a scathing look towards the princess as he lost his temper. “I don’t know what you’re talking about!”   
“You’re Galra! Your skin, the Quintessence showed your true colors...The skin of a Galra that was hidden under that facade you’ve created.”   
Keith blinked back in surprise now that she was starting to actually explain something rather than just yell at him. “W-What?”   
“Wait a minute.” Shiro interceded. “How is that possible? Keith grew up on Earth-”   
“The Galra empire has been everywhere.” Allura replied factually while she kept her eyes trained on Keith. “They’ve sent scouts all across the universe...You were captured just a few planets away from your homeworld were you not?”   
Shiro hummed when he considered her question. “Yeah, I was.” He sent a look to Keith. “But that doesn’t explain-”   
“They take what they want, pillage and murder those who defy them.” Alurra cried out. “And you’ve been hiding this whole time...Lying to us.”   
“No.” Keith shook his head. “I’m not-I’m not Galra.”   
“DON’T LIE!” Allura screamed as tears streaked down her face. “I’ve lost everything because of your people and now you stand before me and lie when there is proof right before our eyes.”   
Keith held up his hand, the burn was bad enough but the odd discoloring, the purple...Was it really something else and not muscle? Keith swallowed tensely, could it be true. He didn’t know his mother, he could barely remember his dad. Looking back at Allura, Keith spoke. “I didn’t-I didn’t know...I mean I can’t be-Shiro.” He twisted to stare at the leader of Voltron. “You’ve known me for forever.”   
Shiro nodded his head not denying that.    
“He’s lying! He’s lying, trying to trick all of us!” Allura took a hasty step forward despite Coran pulling her back, frantically stating it wasn’t safe.   
Keith stumbled backward upon hearing those words. He wasn’t safe. Staring down at his hand, his fingers clenched into a fist that just radiated pain on a physical level to match what he was feeling inside. “I-I didn’t know.” He rasped weakly, as his whole body tensed up.   
“How could you not know what the hell you are?” Lance countered. “I mean how?”   
Pidge glanced up to Lance and with a clinical tone replied. “It’s not really hard to believe, he looks human and he grew up on Earth. It’s not like there’s some kind of sign that says so.”   
“He doesn’t look Galra.” Hunk mumbled.   
“Yeah but his hands purple now isn’t it?” Lance replied in a huff.    
“Yeah...I don’t know how he could have purple skin beneath his human skin.” Pidge mused aloud.   
“Doesn’t make sense.” Hunk muttered.   
Keith didn’t counter the other teen's conversation with more attempts to state he was human, Allura kept shouting every time he did. Still, his silence didn’t save him from more accusations.   
“You came to steal Voltron, to lead us to Zarkon didn’t you! Every step of the way you were plotting against us weren’t you?!” Allura cried.    
Keith clenched his hands tightly together, his nails biting into his flesh. The burned hand shouting out in pain from the gesture as Keith warred within his own mind, trying to find some proof some reason for this. Allura cried out once more when Coran made a startling discovery.   
“Your blood.”   
Keith glanced down to his burned hand, holding it up to see that his nails had cut into the already paper thin tissue, it had caused him to bleed and it wasn’t red. He wasn’t human. The cacophony that resounded from the new discovery was toned out as Keith barely spent a second of staring at his blood before he reacted. He didn’t allow Allura or anyone else to get a single word in after the startling proof was revealed, he twisted and ran knocking over the other teens in his haste.   
“HEY!” “Ow!” “Where are you going?!”   
“Keith!”   
Keith didn’t stop, despite hearing Shiro call for him. His feet carried him all the way to the hanger and without any preamble, he shouted at Red. “I need you!”   
The Red lion didn’t take more than a second to lean down, the lion opened its jaws, allowing Keith inside all in one fluid movement as he ran up to it. No sooner than had he crashed into the cockpit then did he shout. “Close, close, close, CLOSE!”   
The lion rumbled even as it did as he asked. Keith sobbed as he allowed himself to fall to the floor. Shaking, breathing hard a moment before his turmoiled mind had him muttering. “Please, take me somewhere else Red. Anywhere.”   
The lion grumbled a sense of unease rested within the lion, it shifted prepared to leave the hanger at its pilot's command.   
“Please Red, hurry.”   
Keith wanted to wrap his hands over his ears when he heard the others come to a stop outside his lion, but knew that would only bring about more pain to his already burned hand. Hearing their incriminating words making him whine in pain.   
“What’s he doing?”   
“He’s trying to take the Red lion!”   
“Where?”   
“Is he really in there?”   
“Keith?!”   
Shaking his head back and forth, Keith pleaded with Red. “Please. Please. Please. RED! ”   
The lion rumbled in his mind once more even as it gave out a mighty roar, a promise of protection. The Red lion launched itself from its normal place inside the hanger, shooting into the darkness of space. Where it was taking him Keith didn’t know, nor did he care at the moment. He was too focused on staring at his hand, at the blood that was streaming through his fingers to lay droplets onto the floor of Red’s cockpit. Purple.   
“I’m Galra.”   
  
******   
  
“We have to and retrieve the lion!” Allura cried twisting to Shiro. “You must bring it back before Zarkon takes hold of it!”   
Shiro wasn’t sure what Keith had planned, he didn’t believe that Keith would actually take the Red-lion to Zarkon let alone any other Galra, but he agreed that the lion needed to be returned to the castle. “I don’t think he’s going to hand over the Red lion, but we need to bring them back.”   
“You can’t know that! He lied to us!”   
Shiro frowned even as he turned to look up at the other lions. “I’m not so sure about that.”   
“How can you doubt? You saw his hand!”   
“She’s right Shiro, he-He was purple dude.” Lance scoffed. “I mean that doesn’t really mesh well with the whole human skin tone thing.”   
Pidge bit her lip a moment. “Statistically speaking...He has to have Galra blood in him for that type of reaction to have occurred...But his blood was red before today.” She pointed out to the group.   
“That’s before he encountered the Quintessence.” Allura told them. “It showed his true colors, brought his Galra appearance through.”   
Coran gave a nod. “The princess is right, the Quintessence reacted to his Galra genes and changed the color of his skin and blood accordingly.”   
“But that doesn’t mean he knew right?” Hunk questioned. “Cause he really didn’t look like he knew.”   
“Of course he knew.” Lance scoffed. “How couldn’t he know he was some space cat?”   
Shiro sighed as the group began to go in circles. “Enough.” His clear voice rang out ceasing the others chatter. “We need to focus on bringing them both back, get to your lions.” Before the princess could argue about Keith coming back to the castle Shiro added. “We’ll lock down the hanger once we’re all back until we can figure this all out.”   
She glared at him a moment before stating in a firm voice. “He will not take the Red lion.”   
Shiro gave a slow nod. “The Red lion isn’t going anywhere...We’ll talk to Keith once this is all sorted. Let’s go.”   
Allura shook her head. “There is nothing to discuss, he’s Galra. He has no place here.” She twisted sharply about in order to head back to the bridge. “I will instigate the security upon your return.” Coran was quickly at her heels leaving the paladins alone in the hanger.   
“So...What do we do now?” Hunk glanced from Shiro to his friends.   
“We have to find them.” Pidge replied even as she ran towards the Green lion. “He can’t have gone too far.”    
“Unless he had some secret space cruiser waiting for him.” Lance muttered even as he headed for Blue.   
Shiro sent a disapproving look towards the Blue paladin, but Lance was already entering Blue and unable to see it. Hunk had turned away, running towards Yellow. Assured that his team was prepared to leave, Shiro ran to Black. She opened her maw to allow him entry and without a second thought, Shiro slid into the pilot's chair.   
“Come on Black, we have to find Red and Keith.”   
The lions roared together as they launched themselves into space. The group paused outside the castle only for a moment before their lions began to drift in different directions. They weren’t leaving the small huddle that they had formed, but they obviously had different targets in mind.    
“How do we find him?”   
“Our lions should be able to narrow it down.” Pidge replied factually. “They’re all linked after all.”   
“So we just let them lead us?”   
Shiro gave a nod over the screen. “Trust your lion, they’ll know what to do.”   
As if the lions agreed, they began to run through space in different directions than each other.   
“Then how come they’re going in different directions Shiro?!”   
Sighing the leader of Voltron replied. “I don’t know for sure, but I can guess that it might be because Red favors hot planets...Allura said as much when we were locating the lions.”   
“Oh yeah...Okay, so we’re all headed towards some horrendously hot place in order to locate Keith? That blows.”   
“Lance!”   
“It’s going to be hot.” Hunk muttered.   
“Stay in your lions, they’ll protect you.” Shiro reinforced to the other paladins. “We’ll meet up back at the castle in a few hours if we don’t find him. Be careful.”   
“Because of the hot planets or because of Keith?” Lance asked with a skeptical tone.   
Shiro glared over the screen before abruptly ending the comm feed. He couldn’t even consider Keith fighting against them, but he knew that there was a sliver of a chance he might. Keith was hot-headed, it was why Red had chosen him. When Keith was backed into a corner he lashed out, if he did that with the others they might not understand it and think the worst of him.   
“Come on Black, we have to find them.”   
The lion roared.   
  
*******   
  
Keith had initially remained silent as Red lead them to some unknown destination. After stumbling to his feet in order to climb into the pilot's chair he had gone silent, his mind too lost in the chaos of its own thoughts to truly pay attention to his surroundings. He hadn’t focused on whatever readings the console showed him, he’d just stared at his burned hand. The purple blood that had streaked down to his wrist.   
“Did you know?”   
There was no answer.   
“Did you know what I was when you made me your paladin?!”    
His hands clenched causing Keith to whimper and bite his lip as he peeled his hands apart once more. More blood filling his palm from where his nails had pierced the destroyed flesh again. Keith had seen Galra blood before, they all had by now. Seeing the purple liquid that had at one point been red seeping out of him was like watching a horror movie only he didn’t get the luxury of just shutting it off in order to escape it.    
Swallowing tensely Keith pulled his hand up tightly against his chest so as to avoid having to look at it anymore. It still burned fiercely, his nails biting into it had done him no favors and as much as he would love to go and do something about it there was no way to do that. Staring up at the ceiling Keith stated.   
“I’m stuck Red, I’m stuck and I don’t know what to do.”   
There was a gentle rumble in the back of his head.   
“I’ve got nowhere to do...I can’t find my way back to Earth, I can’t take you from them...Not for long. They’ll need you Red and I’m...I’m Galra, I don’t belong.”   
The lion growled.   
Keith sobbed as he curled over on himself. “I’m not human Red...I’m not. I’m Galra you should hate me! You should never have chosen me! WHY DID YOU CHOOSE ME?!”   
The lion’s mighty roar deafened him for a moment, his ears rattling in his head even as Keith registered that the sound wasn’t solely from inside him. The lion had really roared into the vastness of space. 

Letting himself slouch in the pilot's chair, Keith softly said. “You might as well just let me out on some backwater planet...They’re going to come eventually...Sooner or later they’ll drag me out of you if I don’t leave on my own.” Keith twisted his head into the seat, curling up in it at the thought of his friends doing such a thing. “I never belonged on Earth.” He informed the lion casually. “I was always the weird one...Guess I know why.” Keith sighed as he closed his eyes. “I wasn’t meant to belong...This was all just a mistake.”   
Red’s gentle rumble in the back of his head did nothing to sooth the ache he felt. Feeling Red’s discontent, Keith sighed apologizing to the beast.   
“It’s...Okay red, I know you-I know you’ll need a new paladin so the sooner I leave the better. He sat up in the pilot's chair wincing when he accidentally placed his burned hand on the armrest. Pulling it back, tucking it against his chest once more, the Red paladin instructed his lion.   
“Just find somewhere, I’ll be fine.”

Keith didn’t truly believe that. He was in the middle of space light years away from Earth and currently enemy number one of those residing in the only safety he had. If anyone else found him, he’d be recognized as the Red paladin, there really wasn’t a safe place in the universe for him. Keith wasn’t stupid, he knew that luck wasn’t on his side right now. It was pretty easy to die in space when you didn’t have adequate protection. Keith had no supplies with him, just his armor and bodysuit beneath. Anywhere that Red did take him would have to be somewhere he could learn to survive. 

Frowning Keith looked around the cockpit, just now noticing that there was no readout to show their flight path. “Red? Where are you taking me?”   
The lion rumbled but gave no indication of where they were headed or why.   
“I’m really not into solving a puzzle right now Red.”   
The lion rumbled once more.   
Sighing Keith muttered. “Great, now you decide to show how obstinate you are...Right when I need you to have my back.”   
The lion didn’t respond to his claims and with nothing else to do Keith sat back in the pilot's chair and waited.   
  
*******   
  
Hunk stared down at the planet that Yellow had brought him too, it didn’t look very appealing.    
“I hope Red didn’t bring him here...It doesn’t look very inviting.”   
The Yellow lion rumbled.   
“Well, I guess we have to check right? I mean he could be hiding here...So we need to check.”   
The lion swooped down, entering the planet's atmosphere and cutting through the boiling turbulent clouds. Hunk pulled back in his seat when he saw the volcanoes everywhere.   
“Yeah, he’s not here.”   
The Yellow lion rumbled once more even as it continued to scout the planet.   
“I mean...He shouldn’t be, this is a little more than hot. That’s...That’s a volcano Yellow, a very very big volcano.”   
The lion seemed to ignore him as it soared through the terrain. Sighing Hunk muttered. “Why couldn’t Red like a beach or something?”   
He didn’t get an answer to that.    
  
******   
  
Lance screamed as Blue piloted them around the geyser of flame.   
“No. NO. NO! I do not like this, I don’t like this at all!”   
Blue rumbled in response to its pilot's exclamation.   
“Get us out of here Blue!”   
The lion didn’t move to do so, just continued to weave in and out of the geysers of flame.   
“Oh man, if I burn up because of him I’m gonna haunt him.” Wincing when a burst of flame came just shy of where Blue was flying Lance added. “This is so not worth it...They’re not here, I mean why be here. I don’t like here, no one would like here!”   
Blue didn’t respond.   
  
******   
  
“Woah.” Pidge sat forward in her seat. “This is amazing.”   
The Green lion rumbled as if it agreed with its pilot. The large expanse of winding crevices, all bubbling with lava or flammable gas had Pidge staring every which way out of the lion's view.   
“I don’t think its got a breathable atmosphere though...So he couldn’t leave Red.” Pidge muttered to herself. “And those lava shelves don’t look stable either, it wouldn’t be safe to walk around.”   
Green rumbled once more.   
“So he can’t be here, Red wouldn’t take him here, right? She’d protect him just like Shiro said she would.”   
Green didn’t respond and that had Pidge frowning from behind her glasses.   
  
*****

  
Shiro glanced out at the expanse of space, Black was still soaring through it. No indication of where they were going. Every time he’d asked the lion had just rumbled in a reassuring manner, trusting his lion to know the way Shiro had sat back in his seat. Crossing his arms over his chest, he spoke aloud.   
“Keith couldn’t have known...He’s never shown any signs of being anything but human.” Shiro sighed when he remembered all the fights Keith had gotten into, the way Keith fought wasn’t how the other cadets had. His mind couldn’t help but link how Keith moved to how the Galra they had fought thus far had, it was eerily similar.   
“That’s no real proof though...Just because he didn’t follow the same path as the other cadets doesn’t mean he knew he was Galra. He’s always been short-tempered, but he has a good heart.”   
Sighing Shiro looked out at space, he needed to find Keith and talk to him with no one else interfering. With any luck he’d get the chance to do so, Shiro didn’t know what would happen if someone else found Keith first.    
“Come on Black...Lead me to Keith.”   
The lion roared.   
  
******   
  
Keith was curled into himself sprawled sideways across the pilot's chair in order to curl up against the seat, burned hand still tucked up against himself.It had been a while now and Red showed no indication that they were nearing their destination. Not that Red had allowed him access to their flight path, she seemed intent on leaving him in the dark. So, Keith reiterated to his lion that he wasn’t picky, he just needed to get away.  “Red. Take me somewhere. Anywhere...We’ve been flying for a while now and you still need to head back...You can leave me where ever, It’s not like I care where I’m dropped off.”   
The lion rumbled in the back of his mind. Sighing Keith glanced once more to the console thus far they’d passed quite a few places that Keith somehow knew would be hospitable to life and yet Red hadn’t even considered landing.    
Leaving it to his lion to decide where they were going, Keith spoke to her. “When we get there...Wherever there is, go back to the castle. Find a new paladin and help them win the war alright?”   
The lion roared.   
Nodding when he got a response from the lion Keith turned his head into the seat he was curled up on, closing his eyes to rest until Red decided it was time for him to leave. He was sure it would only be a little farther.   
  
*****   
  
Keith was jolted awake by the lion touching down, he hadn’t meant to fall asleep but he was just so tired. Looking outside from the view Red gave him, Keith huffed. “Nice.”   
The dessert before him had Keith shaking his head. “Why not right? I mean I did say I had survived in a dessert all my life.” He laughed to himself at the joke the lion had no doubt inadvertently played against him due to his memories. “Let me out.”   
The lion complied, opening its jaws and releasing Keith out into the stifling heat. The sand that was stirred up by the humid breeze had Keith wincing. Felt like sandpaper scratching his skin, Yep definitely a dessert.   
“Just like home.” He muttered sourly.    
The shifting of Red had Keith twisting about, the lion had laid down and its jaw was once more closed. Frowning Keith pointed. “Go back to the castle Red.”   
The lion didn’t respond. Keith waited a moment to see her off, but the lion didn’t move. Frowning Keith tilted his head at the lion, waited a few more minutes and then shouted.   
“Seriously? You’re just what gonna wait and see how long I live? I can survive here ya know, I did just fine back on Earth.”   
The lion remained immobile.   
Huffing Keith twisted back around. “Fine, just don’t let yourself get taken by any Galra...The last thing I need is Allura blaming me for Zarkon getting his hands on you...Then again she already blames me.” Shaking his head as he traversed the sand, Keith looked in all directions. He caught sight of a rock outcropping in the distance, nodding Keith began heading towards it. Calling over his shoulder as he walked.   
“Thanks for the lift, bye Red.”   
The lion roared.   
Smirking despite the pain it brought him to leave the lion, Keith made his way towards the rocks. It was gonna take a while to get there, sand was a bitch to walk through and he needed to have some kind of shelter when the su-. Keith glanced up with a wince, okay...So two suns. That’s horrible.   
“Figures, take me the dessert of desserts.” Shaking his head Keith plodded along, he’d have to find shelter regardless of whether or not the planet had a night cycle. Chances were that if it did have one, it was going to be horrible. Heat and cold two things the dessert did extremely well, polar opposites that made night and day hell on earth all in the same area.


	2. Hide and seek

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The paladins go in search of Keith and Red.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I love this chapter, lol. I hope you all enjoy it too!

When the paladins touched down inside the hanger of the castle of lions, the pilots noticed immediately that there was vacant space. Black and Red were still out there, somewhere.    
The paladins came from their own respective lions only to see Allura and Coran waiting anxiously as if hoping that they had some news about Red.   
Lance shook his head. “Sorry Princess, Blue took me to this horrible planet and I can tell you he is not there.”   
Hunk nodded. “Same, nothing there but volcano’s.”   
Pidge glanced towards her compatriots before informing the princess. “Same for mine, it wasn’t hospitable for life. There’s no way that Red and Keith were there.”   
The princess shook her head. “After trying so hard...We’re going to be-be destroyed because of a Galra.” She clenched her fists.   
The paladins watched warily as she turned to Coran. “We need to move the castle somewhere else, Black will be able to find her way...but the more distance we put ourselves between Red the better.”   
“Princess...I don’t think that will work, I mean if Black can find her way home then so can Red.” Pidge pointed out.   
“She’s right.” Hunk nodded.    
Lance sighed. “Well, that sucks.”   
The princess slumped. “I-I don’t know how to protect us from him, he has the Red lion...He’s going to use it against us, lead Zarkon and his fleet right too us.”   
“We don’t know that.” Pidge softly muttered. “Keith woul-”   
“He’s Galra!” Allura cried out hastily, unable to listen to Pidge defend the other. “He’s nothing but a monster...He lied, hiding here in the castle all the while bonding with Red enough to steal her.”   
“But she chose him.” Hunk replied. “Wouldn’t she have known?”   
“Uh...He’s got a point.” Lance frowned. “I mean the lions only pick those who are worthy right?”   
Pidge nodded. “Right, Red had to have known all along.”   
“She wouldn’t do that! She wouldn’t choose a Galra to pilot her.” She looked aghast at the notion of the lion doing that. “He had to have tricked her.”   
Pidge frowned. “But how? They know us...They see parts of us, he couldn’t have lied in his memories.”   
The princess shook her head, practically vibrating with energy. “Come, Coran, we need to find a way to prevent Red from being used to locate us... The Red lion is gone.”   
Coran gave a hasty nod as he trailed off after the princess, leaving the other paladins standing in their wake. Pidge shook her head as she watched them go.   
“Red wouldn’t have chosen a pilot she didn’t feel was worthy.”   
The two teens beside her glanced her way.   
“And there’s no way he could have fooled her? I mean we didn’t know until the whole Quitenci thing happened.”   
Pidge sighed. “Quintessence Lance, it’s Quintessence...I’m not sure how that would have played into how Red saw him.”   
Lance gave a nod. “Right, so he could have tricked her...Sorta.” He frowned. “I mean maybe?”   
Hunk sighed, shaking his head. “We won’t know for sure until Shiro brings them back, he will bring them back right?” He looked to Pidge as if she was the sole person who he could rely on for answers.   
Pidge nodded. “Shiro will bring them back...Provided he can find them.”   
  
*****   
  
Shiro frowned as the console before him that kept scanning various planetary bodies as they soared through space. There was still no sign that the Red lion had come this way and Black had continued to keep him the dark as far as where they were going.    
Beginning to have doubts, Shiro questioned Black. “Black, do you know where Red is?”   
The roar he received along with the simplified emotions the lions used to communicate with them told him yes.   
“Alright...Then let's keep going.” Shiro frowned as he glanced towards the gauge which basically functioned as a clock. It had been hours, the other paladins had to have already returned to the castle by now. Meanwhile, Keith and Red could be anywhere, if Black said that she knew where they were then Shiro would trust her.   
  
******   
  
Keith collapsed against the rock wall. “I made it.” He rasped with a small hitch in his voice and a tired smile. Inwardly proud of himself, Keith allowed his tired body to fall into a seated position at the foot of the rock wall. He stared out into the sea of sand, there wasn’t even a hint of Red out there. Not that Keith had assumed he’d be able to see Red if she was still there at least not at this far of a distance, but still the sand looked like it stretched on forever. It probably did.   
Looking down at himself, Keith grimaced at the sweaty body suit he still wore. He’d taken off his paladin armor a few miles back. It was heavy in this atmosphere and it just made things hotter. Now in just his body suit, Keith felt the sweat clinging to him beneath the barrier of the durable cloth just as he had felt the suns rays beating down on him. His eyes trailed towards the hand that had caused all of this, the burn stood out against the sharp light of the sand, the purple that had appeared as a part of the initial burn seemed to have spread.    
Frowning at it, Keith shook his head. “That’s not possible.”    
His mind quickly told him that anything was since aliens did in fact exist and he had been piloting a giant mechanical space lion.  Sighing Keith set the injured hand on his thigh, doing his best to distract himself from the lingering pain. The notion of sand having penetrated the wound wasn’t worth thinking about, it wasn’t like an infection was liable to kill him. Not here at least, here it would be the heat.   
Glancing around, Keith tried to figure out if there was anything to the rock outcropping that he had managed to walk to. At first glance, it just appeared like a giant wall of rock, but there were some small dips into it. Crevices no doubt. It was a struggle, but Keith got to his feet leaning against the stone wall for a moment as he got his bearings. Assured that he wasn’t liable to end up on his ass, Keith followed the length of the wall, searching for something...What he didn’t know.   
  
******   
  
Shiro sighed when Black came through the atmosphere of an unknown planet, it was mere moments before he caught sight of something important. The sight of the red lion had Shiro sighing a broad smile stretching his face now that he had found them.   
“Alright, let's go see if we can’t talk to Keith.”   
The lion rumbled in the back of his mind as it touched down beside the Red lion. Shiro was outside a moment later, running across the heavy sand towards Red.   
“Keith!”   
The Red lion tilted its head down at him. “Keith, open up, we need to talk.”    
The Red lion dipped its head down, opening its jaws. Relieved that the teen was listening Shiro ran up the steps into the cockpit only to pause with a ragged breath. It was empty. Keith wasn’t there. Twisting around in some vain attempt to make sure the teen wasn’t hiding somewhere even when he knew there was nowhere to hide, Shiro ran back down the ramp. Red closing her mouth as soon as he was clear.   
“Where did he go?!”   
The lion didn’t respond as it positioned itself like a statue once more. Twisting towards Black, Shiro shouted. “We have to find him.” He raced towards the Lion, its mouth opening wide to allow him entry. Sliding into the pilot's chair, He panted. “Come on Black, we gotta find him.”   
The lion closed its mouth, its systems coming to life even as it remained stationary next to Red. Glancing through the consoles, Shiro idly saw the readouts on the planet.   
“Two Suns.” Shiro frowned. “Why would Red come here? Why let him leave at all? It’s nothing but dessert, Keith couldn’t survive here.” Shiro closed his eyes a minute later. “Right...A dessert.”  Red must have chosen it because it had seen where Keith had lived back on Earth, no doubt the lion assumed its pilot could survive in the hot temperatures that it favored.    
Opening his eyes a moment later the paladin called out. “Black I need your help, I need to find Keith. He can’t survive out there.”   
The lion growled, its consoles lighting up as the vision changed. Shiro’s eyes widened as he leaned forward to see the strange distortions in the sand. It was almost like-   
“Footsteps.” Shiro smirked. “Good girl Black let's go.” Shiro grasped the controls and urged the lion to take flight, it would only take a few minutes at most to find the teen. Yet, the Black lion didn’t soar into the air as he told her too, she walked among the sand dunes.   
“Black?” Shiro’s gaze twisted to the side when he saw the Red lion had stood up and was standing beside Black. The two lions were walking side by side, following the path that was left by Keith. “I don’t understand.”   
The lion rumbled in his mind, Shiro tilted his head a bit as he tried to understand what the Lions wanted.    
Shaking his head when it didn’t make sense to him Shiro attempted to explain to the lion. “Black, Keith is in danger. It’s too hot out there.” He pointed at the readouts on the screen. “It’s way too hot Black, he’s been here for hours now, I need to find him NOW!”   
The lion roared back even as its pace didn’t increase.   
“Damn it!” Shiro smashed his hands onto the arms of his chair. “He’ll die, Black!”   
Shiro was surprised when the Red lion roared, twisting his head to look at the lion Shiro paled when his mind caught onto the lion replying to his statement. He couldn’t understand Red as he could Black, but the fact that she had somehow realized what he was saying to Black had him stunned. What was worse was that she had answered him in a manner that didn’t reflect a lion protecting its paladin.    
Then it clicked. “She can’t have a new paladin until the old dies or is challenged.” Shiro was up and out of the seat before he knew it, calling out. “Open!”   
The black lion continued forward, ignoring its paladin's request. Shiro stumbled when the hatch didn’t open smacking himself into the hatch that would normally release him from the cockpit. He blinked a few times in confusion before scowling. “Black open, I need to go find him before its too late.”   
The lion refused.   
Shaking his head Shiro rasped. “He’ll die, Black...Keith will die, you have to let me out.” Shiro pounded his hands on the hatch. “Please.”   
The lions roared side by side, the hatch remained closed.   
  
******   
  
Keith stumbled every other step, unable to truly get his bearings. He was really thirsty, every time he tried to lick his lips to moisten them he tasted salt, what was worse was that he could feel it. His own body sweat was crystallizing and idly Keith knew what that meant, still, he pressed forward since it was the only thing he could do.

Keith had found some kind of cave or at least that was what it appeared to be to him. So, like an idiot about to die anyway, Keith decided to check it out. He’d been walking for about fifteen minutes, the small glimmers of some unknown crystal his only light source, it was pretty in that weird alien way. Chuckling in dry choking breaths Keith’s mind became stuck on the word alien his gaze went down to his hand once more, yep still hallucinating. The purple was past his elbow.   
“W-Wonder if I’ll be all purple.” He smiled at his skin. “Purple’s not really my color.” He laughed before stumbling, catching himself on a rock with a grimace. He stared at the cut on his forearm, huffing at the sight of his purple blood that was left on the rock.   
“Sorry.” He trailed onward from the rock he’d just apologized to, towards something...He wasn’t even sure why he was still walking. Would make far more sense to just lay down and die, but Keith wasn’t the type to do that and so, he walked and walked and walked. Keith paused when the cavern he had been walking in bowed out into a circular shaped bowl of rock. There was the light producing crystals all around, including one giant one in the center of the room.   
“Woah.”   
The crystals themselves were beautiful, but the drawings that covered the walls had him tilting his head every which way. “Pidge would love this.” Keith flinched when he realized what he had said and how she would never get to see it since he had no intention of going back. Sighing, Keith moved further into the room, finding one of the drawings he stared at it. His foggy brain attempting to decipher what he was seeing. It took a minute before his eyes widened.   
“No.”   
  
*****   
  
Shiro was slumped in the pilot's chair, Black and Red had been walking for miles and despite their long strides, Shiro knew that it would be a while yet before they reached their destination. Based on what lay ahead, Shiro figured the rocks in the distance were their destination. Keith must have headed towards them for shelter from the suns, Shiro gritted his teeth as he thought of the missing paladin.   
The low rumble of Black in the back of his mind was meant to be soothing but it had Shiro muttering. “I don’t want to believe that Red would do this to him...That any of you would do this to us. But Black, he will die and if-If Red really wanted to replace him, why make him suffer like this? Because he’s Galra?” The word was spat out. “I don’t care Black, neither should the lions...Or the paladins. Keith is...Is just Keith.” Shiro sighed as he let his head fall back against the headrest.    
He stayed like that for a while, mind turbulent as he struggled to figure out how he felt about all of it. Allura’s words had caused him to doubt Keith initially, but now, now that he had a moment to truly think it over Shiro knew she was wrong. Keith had been there to rescue him from the garrison once he’d escaped, had fought alongside them the entire time. He’d never shown any signs of being anything other than what Shiro knew him to be, who he knew him to be.    
A ping had Shiro’s head jerking upright to stare at an icon on the screen, it zoomed in. Shiro’s heart sped up.   
“He took off his armor.”   
For the next half mile, Shiro watched as piece after piece was discarded.    
“He’s got heat stroke Black, he needs to cool off and so he’s stripping off his armor.” Shiro didn’t know why he felt the need to explain it to the lion, but he did. “He’s going to lose any protection he has and he’ll still overheat. He’s got little to no supplies, he can’t last like this.” He pleaded once more with his lion.   
The Lions didn’t reply, not Red and not Black. Shiro could only watch on as the pieces of armor accumulated until it was all accounted for. The rest of the sand unblemished, if it weren’t for the lion's vision Shiro would have no idea that Keith had gone this way.    
“Please Black.”   
The lion ignored him, leaving Shiro to slump in his chair, forced once more to wait.   
  
******   
  
Keith sat at the base of one of the stone walls, he’d finished staring at the drawings, he would have looked at more but he’d grown tired and after reading nearly all of one wall it was clear what it was all about. They were nice murals when you got down to it, but they weren’t of much help to him in the long run.

Keith was now staring at his own arm, the purple had expanded, nearly up to his shoulder now, it wasn’t pretty to look at. It seemed so out of place when he looked at his own flesh to find it a different color than what he was used to, the smears of purple blood that was on him just made his breath quicken before he had to look away...Keith didn’t like it but he knew he had no choice about it. He was Galra, purple was kinda their thing.   
Keith huffed to himself, letting his gaze go all around the room a moment. His vision kept going in and out, he was severely dehydrated and he hadn’t stopped sweating despite being any longer in the direct sun. The cave was muggy, trapping the moisture from his own body and whatever plants were surviving inside the rocky caves. Keith hadn’t seen much, but the earthy smell told him that there were plants around somewhere.   
His head tilted back to stare up at what Keith believed to be some kind of chandelier, it was made of the same luminescent crystals like those that had led him to this place. Almost looked like a star, well like what you could see from a planet anyway. It was pretty and Keith couldn’t help but realize that Red had brought him here on purpose, how she knew about the place was lost on him. 

It didn’t really matter, it wasn’t like he was going to be leaving, if she had wanted to save him she would have come by now. Keith could only really wonder if this was some way of her showing that it could have been different, but it still hurt to know that the lion he had bonded with was abandoning him especially after sharing something like this with him...But he was used to people abandoning him it made sense that she would do the same.    
Sighing Keith let his gaze fall away from the crystal chandelier, settling on the center of the stone floor. The drawings glowed much like the crystal, Keith figured they were made somehow with them, like paint or something. The drawings on the floor were inlaid, recessed into the stone so he figured that they’d last a long time. Keith was glad to know that, long after he was gone someone would be able to see these. Maybe, somewhere down the line, it would mean something again. Closing his eyes Keith allowed himself to relax, there wasn’t a point to forcing himself to stay awake. He was tired and it was okay to rest now.   
  
******   
  
Shiro sat upright in the pilot's chair when the lions both came to a stop, they’d finally reached the rocky outcropping. Right in front of the lions was a cave, it was obvious where the Lions wished him to go. Shiro spun around when the Black lion opened its maw for him to leave. He’d never ran so fast in his life, the sand made it hard to run but Shiro didn’t stop until his feet hit stone. From there he made short work of running down the glowing corridor, idly noting that Pidge would have loved the sight of the mysterious crystals. Shiro shook that off for now.   
“Keith!”   
Shiro shouted as he ran, desperate to hear the other paladin call back to him. There was nothing, he kept running, kept calling out to the missing paladin. Crystal after crystal, dip, and bend in the cavern it didn’t matter Shiro kept running. Sweat was pouring off of his own body, but he didn’t relent. Shiro kept running until something caught his eye, coming to a screeching halt Shiro turned approaching the object. It was a rock shard jutting out of the wall, purple blood was splashed across the top of it. Keith’s blood. Shiro’s head whipped towards where he had been heading before he caught sight of the boy's blood. Shiro knew he was headed in the right direction and with that in mind, Shiro ran.    
“KEITH!”   
Still nothing. Shaking his head the black paladin ran deeper still. It only took a few minutes before he came to another screeching halt. His eyes going wide at the large room, it was bathed in the gentle light of the same crystals that had led him here. Luminescent drawings took up nearly every available space, even the floors themselves glowed.   
“Woah.”   
“That’s what I said.”   
Shiro’s head jerked to the left so fast he was surprised his neck didn’t pop. “Keith!” Running over to the Red paladin, Shiro crashed to his knees. Keith smiled wanly up at him.   
“Hey.” His voice was hoarse and it was obviously a chore to keep his head up.   
“Damn it, Keith, why did you come out here?” Shiro took off his own helmet reaching out see how high the other teen's temperature was after pulling off his glove. He hissed when he felt the scorching heat coming off of Keith's forehead.   
“It’s hot.” Came the dumb reply from the teen staring tiredly back at him.   
“Yeah, I know.” Shiro retorted.   
“It’s pretty.” Keith managed to tilt his head up a bit, staring at the drawings.   
Shiro sighed. “Yeah it’s great Keith, come on we gotta go. You need-”   
“I’m Galran.”   
Shiro froze. Hearing the teen say it like that like it just was. No arguing or attempts to say otherwise, just a statement of fact.   
“Keith.”   
Keith let his head fall back to stare at him, a tired smile on his face. “I didn’t know.”   
“Okay.” Shiro nodded. “We’ll deal with it-”   
“I would have told you...If I had known.” Keith promised.   
“That’s great buddy, but we gotta get you back to the castle.”   
Keith shook his head. “I like it here.”   
Shiro gritted his teeth but keeping his level head he tried to reason with the teen. “Keith, your dehydrated and have heat stroke. If we don’t leave you’re going to-”   
“Die.” Keith breathed out. “That’s what happens to people with heatstroke in a desert.”   
“Yeah.”   
Keith hummed. “I know...Did you know that the Galra used to pay tributes.”   
“What?” Shiro frowned at Keiths sudden change of topic, confused about what the boy meant let alone how he’d come to have such knowledge.   
Keith nodded his head jerkily. “Tributes...Uh like-Um...The thing...People-” The paladin grew confused and then frustrated, shaking his head a few times as if to clear his own thoughts.   
Sighing Shiro shook his own head. “It doesn’t matter what they used to do Keith w-”   
“It does!” Keith shouted back, lurching forward as if he had to physically make Shiro understand. He never even touched Shiro though, he just fell back against the rocks tiredly.   
Shiro jumped at the teen's sudden exclamation, frowning when the teen sagged against the wall.    
“It does.” Keith rasped tiredly as he tried so desperately to make Shiro understand.   
Not understanding why this meant so much to Keith, but knowing it might be the only way to get him to cooperate Shiro went with it. “Alright. So they paid tributes. Why?” Keith stared back at him in a confused fashion. “Keith, why did they pay tributes? To who?”   
Keith glanced to the right, past where Shiro had entered the room. He lifted his hand to point only to hear the sudden shocked inhale from Shiro. Turning his head towards the paladin Keith frowned until he saw what had startled Shiro.   
“Oh...Yeah, that’s a thing now.” He rasped.   
Shiro gave him a confused look. “How long-”   
“Since I left...I think.” Keith muttered. “I thought I was hallucinating, but I guess not if you can see it.” Keith stared back at him shrewdly. “Unless you're hallucinating too...Or are a hallucination.”   
Sighing Shiro replied all while gently lowering the teen's arm. “You’re not hallucinating and I’m not a hallucination.”   
“Oh. Good to know.”   
Snorting Shiro took in the sight of the boys burned hand, the purple lacing up his arm clear up to his shoulder until it went beneath his suit. Not knowing how far this new development had spread had the black paladin frowning.  “How far?”   
Despite not having explained himself, Keith seemed to understand. “Don’t know...Guess it’s not on my face yet.”   
Shiro shook his head, just looking at Keith in the low light you couldn’t see much, not unless you were close. Keith’s skin tone, however, was remarkably different when you caught sight of the change in complexion. The purple which had started on his hand had already encompassed the entire arm.   
“Does it hurt?” Shiro stared at the boy's skin.   
“No...Well, my hand does.”   
Shiro smiled. “I bet.” He glanced down to the boys burned hand, sighing as he muttered. “The sand probably hasn’t helped.”   
“Not really.”   
Chuckling at the boy candor, Shiro reached out and tried to get the boy moving. “Alright, let's go.” Shiro stumbled a bit when Keith shoved him back.   
“Keith.”   
“I can’t.” Keith panted from the exertion of shoving the other paladin away, he shook his head. “I can’t.”   
“Yes, you can.” Shiro countered easily. “The lions are right outside, we can get you back to the castle an-”   
Keith shook his head even as he scrabbled to get to his feet, he crashed backward into the stone wall with a groan as his head swam. Shiro came forward to help brace him, but the Red paladin shoved the taller figure back.   
“NO!” Keith shouted. “I can’t! I can’t go back, Shiro.” Panting for every breath, Keith tried not to focus too hard on the fact that he couldn’t actually focus. His vision was just a swimming cascade of colors.   
“Keith, I know things are messed up right now but we’re going to work this out.”   
“I’m not like them!”   
“Not lik-Keith.” Shiro frowned before he realized what Keith was saying, He sighed. “You’re the same as you’ve always been...Maybe a different color.” He glanced towards the boy's arm. “But you’re still you.”   
“I-I’m not-I’m not them.”   
“You’re not.” Shiro agreed with a firm nod, stepping forward once more he circled his arms around the teen in a firm embrace. Grimacing at the sheer heat he felt coming off of Keith. “You’re not like them Keith, your human.”   
Keith panted against his neck, his fingers finding purchase on the others armor. Clutching tightly to Shiro in a warring facade of not being sure whether or not he wanted to push the man away or hold him tighter. His legs were trembling and his vision was going black in places.    
“I’m-I’m not-I can-I can be good.”   
“You’re good Keith.” Shiro assured him even as he twisted the teen in his grasp, slinging the boy’s arm over his shoulder and started to drag the other towards the entrance of the cave. Keith was stumbling against him, uncoordinated as he leaned heavily against Shiro.   
Keith twisted his head to the side, staring at the drawings once more. “They were good...Once.”   
Shiro frowned as he listened to Keith ramble.   
“They were...Were very good-T-They helped others.” Keith slumped further into Shiro. “They took care of each other.”   
“Keith, I’m sure that the Galra were-Different before Zarkon took over, you don’t have to convince me of that.”   
“I can be good...I can be good.”   
Gritting his teeth as he was forced to haul the teen down the cavernous walls, Shiro assured him. “You’re good.”   
“I-I wouldn’t hurt you.”   
“I know that.” Shiro bit out before regaining control over his temper. “I know that Keith, you wouldn’t hurt any of us.”   
Keith nodded loosely against him, his head rolling against Shiro’s shoulder. “Come on Keith just a bit further.”   
“I like it here.”   
Shiro snorted. “You really don’t, you hated the dessert.” Keith had been adamant about that during his time in the garrisson.    
“It’s not so bad.” Keith droned with a loose tongue. “I’m used to being alone.”   
“You’re not alone anymore.”   
Keith was silent a moment before seemingly out of the blue he asked. “Did Red find a new paladin?”   
“No!” Shiro barked out, tensing up at the notion of Red replacing Keith so easily, he was quick to assure the other paladin. “She’s right outside, she’s been here the whole time.”   
“Oh...Then I should probably go back.”   
Shiro shouted as Keith twisted suddenly against him, sending them both to the ground when Shiro tried to counter the teen’s weight only for Keith to go limp. Groaning Shiro leveraged himself up on his elbows, staring over at Keith who was crawling to his hands and knees in a wobbly fashion, dizzily climbing to his feet and stumbling a few steps back the way they came.   
Groaning Shiro got to his feet and cut Keith off, throwing the boys arm over his shoulder once more and drawing back towards the exit.   
“Wha-”   
“Shut up and walk Keith.”   
“But Shiro...Shiro Red hasn’t found a new paladin.”   
“She doesn’t need one.” Shiro muttered as he forced the boy forward despite his attempts to go backward.   
“Allura doesn’t want a Galra paladin.” Keith rasped.   
“We’re going to work on that when we get back.” He promised. “For now, let’s focus on getting you back to the castle.”   
Keith sighed but stopped resisting, stumbling alongside Shiro as the man took more of his weight. It was getting harder and harder to walk, let alone keep his eyes open. Licking his parched lips, tasting the accumulated salt, Keith wondered if what Shiro had said was true. Was Red waiting for him? Keith smiled at the notion of his lion staying the whole time he’d been the cave as if she was expecting him to return all along.   
Shiro grunted, nearly falling to his knees when Keith sagged suddenly against him.   
“Keith?” Twisting his head, he saw how limp the teen was. “KEITH!” Shiro was forced to let him fall to the ground as he lost his own footing. Panting Shiro knelt beside the teen, Keith was soaked with sweat, his lips dry cracked pieces of flesh as quick pants of air left him for breath.   
“Damn it.” Grabbing ahold of Keith, Shiro struggled back to his feet. Lurching forward a bit before finding his footing, he moved as fast as he could towards the exit of the cave. Doing all he could not to dwell on the fact that Keith was unconscious and had been mentally impaired by the heat he’d been subjected to for so long. Keith would be fine, he would.   
  
*****   
  
Stumbling outside should have gotten him fresh air, it only got him hotter air. Regardless it didn’t stop Shiro’s approach as he shouted for Black. The lion was already opening its great maw, all Shiro had to do was get himself and Keith up the ramp. No problem. Gritting his teeth as he carried the teen, Shiro muttered between clenched teeth.   
“We’re talking about your priveledges of leaving the castle when this is over.” Shiro slumped to the floor alongside Keith when Black closed her maw, sealing the hatch behind them.   
“Go back to the castle Black. Hurry!”   
The lions roared and Shiro felt the distinct sensation of the robotic beasts leaping into the air. He tried not to dwell on the fact that both lions were suddenly being compliant, instead choosing to focus on Keith. The teen was still panting, sweat pouring off of him.   
“Alright...Alright, come on think Shiro.” Glancing around the cockpit, Shiro twisted when there was a sound behind him. His eyes widened when he saw the emergency kit, that wasn’t something he had expected to find.    
Smirking he called out. “Thanks Black.”    
She roared in response.   
Pulling the kit free of its casing, Shiro frowned when the majority of the items wouldn’t do much for Keith’s present condition. The water pouch, however, was of some use, although he couldn’t get Keith to drink, he could use it in combination with the bandages. Shiro doused them in the cool water and applied it to Keith,s forehead.   
“Alright kid, lets cool you down.” Shiro quickly made another impromptu cooling pack and draped it around the teen,s neck.  “Good, alright cooling down the major blood vessels...What else?” Shiro’s gaze settled on the purple markings that had spread since he’d last seen Keith. Shiro could see the tell-tale edges of the purple cresting through the neck of the boy,s flight suit. He glared at it as if it was the cause for this, technically it was Shiro had to remind himself. Shaking his head to clear his thoughts, the black paladin gave his full attention to Keith once more.   
The teen was perspiring still, despite being in a cooler environment a clear indicator that his temperature was high. If that wasn’t clear enough the teen’s chest was going up and down far faster than it should have, Keith’s panting as his body attempted to cool itself off. Shiro didn’t like the looks of either symptom, but besides the cool pack, there was little he could do.   
His head jerked up when the comm pinged, right before Hunk came across the screen.   
“Shiro?”   
Getting up from the small area behind the pilot’s chair, he came around to sit so as to better converse with the Yellow paladin. “Hunk I’m here.”   
The teen sighed in relief upon seeing him rather than an empty cockpit. “We’ve been trying to reach you, but I think Black was blocking communications...That’s what Pidge said might be happening. Did you find him? None of us have managed to find a trace of Red.”   
“I have him.” Shiro nodded. “Red’s following Black and we’re on our way back to the castle.” Shiro’s brow furrowed even as he told the other teen. “Let Coran know that Keith’s ill.”   
“He’s sick?”   
Shiro nodded. “Keith and Red went to some desert planet, he’s dehydrated and the purple markings have spread.”   
“Spread! What do you mean spread, is it some kind of rash now?”   
Shiro shook his head. “I don’t know what it is.”   
“And you touched it?” There was a squeamish look to the Yellow paladins face now.   
Chuckling at the Yellow paladin’s reaction, Shiro responded. “I kinda had to Hunk, Keith passed out on our way back to the lions.”   
“Wait...He left the lion?”   
Shiro nodded. “He left Red in the desert and somehow made his way to this rock formation, there was a cave with these strange crystals and drawings.”   
Hunk made a confused sound even as he asked. “He’s not like having some kind of phone home moment is he?”   
Shiro huffed. “He’s from Earth Hunk and there’s no sign of the Galra on that planet, whoever had made those drawings is long gone. It was literally just a giant desert.”   
Hunk gave a nod. “I’ll let the others know I got a hold of you...We’ll do our best to convince Allura and Coran.”   
Shiro sighed. “We don’t have much of a choice Hunk, he needs help. If they aren’t willing then I’ll find somebody else.”   
Hunk had a worried look stretched across his face once more but didn’t say anything about Shiro’s declaration. “We’ll be waiting for you back at the castle.”   
Shiro nodded and the comm went dead. It took a moment for Shiro to speak aloud. “You blocked their communications.”   
Black rumbled.   
Sighing when he got no true answer as to his lion’s motive Shiro rose from the pilot’s chair and returned to Keith’s side. Sitting down the black paladin tested the washcloths he’d made out of the bandages and water packet. They were warm, Keiths temperature eating through whatever comfort they might have brought him. Taking them off of the teens head and neck, Shiro soaked them once more in water before replacing them.    
“We’ll be back at the castle soon, just hang on until then alright.”   
Keith didn’t react to his plea, the unconscious teen lay limp on the floor of the cockpit.


	3. A wolf in sheep's clothing

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Shiro gets Keith back to the castle of lions and takes on Allura for the right of Keith to remain in the castle. Keith wakes up only to find that things aren't any better than when he had last been awake if anything they're worse. Afraid of how the other paladins will react, Keith attempts to run only to be stopped by a surprising source.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Yay another chapter! Only one more to go after this XD. Hope you all enjoy the protective Shiro and angsty Keith.

When the Black lion touched down in the castle, Red following closely behind it the two beasts were already with an audience as the other paladins had come running into the hanger only seconds after them.

Shiro was quick to scoop up Keith he had to keep his bearings as he carried the teen, Keith wasn’t light after all. Still, he managed to keep ahold of the boy and his footing in order to stumble down the ramp. The other paladins gasped at the sight of Keith, whether or not that was because he was unconscious in Shiro’s arms or the purple markings having spread all the way up one arm and was cresting over the teen's cheek was up for debate.

Allura and Coran were standing beside the paladins, the princess shook her head.

“No, he cannot stay here.”

Shiro gritted his teeth as he kept ahold of Keith. “He needs help.”

The princess shook her head. “He’s Galra.”

The paladins could only watch as their leader and the princess went back and forth.

“He has no place here.”

Shiro had-had enough, he pushed past them ignoring the startled gasp as he made his way down the hallways of the castle towards the medbay. 

“You cannot do this!” Allura caught up with him.

“Well, I am!” Shiro countered. “Red didn’t abandon him and I’m not about to either.”

“He’s not fit to be her paladin.”

Shiro huffed. “Take that up with her, she took him to some desert planet to show him drawings from some people who used to live alongside the Galra.”

Allura frowned utterly confused to hear something like that. “Whatever are you talking about?”

Shiro adjusted his hold on Keith as he continued to walk, idly he could hear the others trailing behind them. “Keith was rambling about the drawings and how the Galra used to be good, about some tributes or something...He wasn’t making a lot of sense.”

“More lies.” She returned.

“I don’t care if it was lies or not, he’s not going to die.” Shiro was relieved to make it to the medbay, quickly relieving himself of Keith by setting the teen on the examination table. Sighing as he rolled his shoulders, Shiro looked to the princess and then to Coran who had come to stand beside her.

“He needs help, I don’t know how to work the pod.”

Coran fiddled with his hands, sending anxious looks towards the princess. Shiro frowned when the man didn’t respond, looking towards Allura, Shiro told her.

“He doesn’t deserve this, he’s never hurt any of us. I’ve known him for years princess and Keith isn’t a thr-”

“The Gal-”

“KEITH hasn’t hurt us!”

She flinched a bit as the boy's name was countered over her argument. She looked down at the still form, Keith was sweating still, his chest rising and falling in quick succession.

“Princess?” Coran questioned.

Clenching her fists, Allura looked up to Shiro. “Once he’s healed he will leave the castle at once.”

Shiro gritted his teeth at the woman's demand. “Just help him.”

Coran ran to the pod quickly keying in some figures, it opened shortly after. “Place him inside.”

Nodding Shiro was about to pick the teen up singlehandedly when Hunk came and offered his assistance.

“Thanks, Hunk.”

The teen nodded, together they got Keith inside the pod. It’s doors shutting one they were outside, the pod beeped before the glass ghosted over upon activating. Coran looked at the readings a moment before commenting.

“He’s severely dehydrated.”

“He was in the sun for hour’s.” Shiro commented. “What about the markings?”

Coran hummed, shaking his head. “It doesn’t say anything peculiar.” Looking up the Altean sighed. “It appears to be an alteration of pigment alone. Proof of his species traits appearing.”

Shiro frowned as he turned to stare into the pod where Keith was sleeping.

“He’ll be alright though?”

Coran nodded towards the other paladins. “Yes, the pod will fix him up in a jiffy.”

They seemed to sigh in relief, Allura gained all of their attention’s as she stormed out of the room

. “Oh, umm I shall attend to the princess. Keith will be in the pod for a while, no need to worry though he’s being taken care of.” Coran ran after the princess, leaving the paladins behind.

Pidge came to stand beside Shiro. “What were the drawings about?”

Shiro shook his head even as he stared into the misted glass to Keith’s still form. “I don’t know, I only saw them in passing.”

“But he was talking some mystical voodoo stuff about the Galra?” Lance questioned even as he came forward to tap on the pod. Pidge smacked his hand earing a pained hiss from the Blue paladin. She glared at him.

“It was most likely some kind of mural depicting their relationship with the Galra.” She looked to Shiro. “But before Zarkon.”

Shiro nodded. “Yeah, that’s what Keith said.”

“So...Is he going to stay purple? I mean is going to spread some more?” Hunk twisted his hands anxiously. “Cause... I don’t think he’ll like that.”

Shiro sighed when he thought about how the other teen would react if his skin were to stay as it was now It wouldn’t be good. “I don’t think he will either, but if the pod isn’t registering it as something to be cured then it’s most likely there to stay.”

Pidge frowned. “I’m going to go see if I can’t find anything about the Galra...Their skin is different from ours. Tougher. Maybe his skin is just thickening and will go back to normal?”

The others watched her trail off, muttering to herself already about the different reasons for the change in Keith’s skin color. Hunk glanced between the pod and Shiro.

“I think I’ll go help Pidge.” The large teen ran after the girl.

Lance huffed. “They act like they can give him a tan to fix it.”

Shiro raised a brow to Lance, the teen shrugged. “Pretty sure he’s stayin purple man.”

The Black paladin sighed. “Most likely...He doesn’t have any other traits of theirs though.”

“Well...His eyes have always been that weird color.” Lance was quick to point out.

Shiro hummed. “But they aren’t like a Galra’s.”

“Guess not.” Lance frowned as he stared in at Keith’s sleeping form. “Whatever, I’m going to go see how the princess is doing...He’s going to be sleeping a while.”

Shiro nodded and let the teen go, staring into the pod Shiro let out a relieved sigh. “That was far too close Keith.” His eyes went to the purple that had steadily crept up the boy’s neck until it reached around his face. 

Shiro had been forced to sit there in the cockpit of the Black Lion and watch it steadily expand. He didn’t know what it was, if Pidge would be right and it was just a change in pigment or if it was something else. Either way, Shiro knew that Keith wouldn’t like the sight of himself when it was all said and done...That is if it stayed. 

Turning away, Shiro went to go and speak with the princess. He needed to have things resolved before Keith woke up, there was no way he could just abandon the teen because the princess feared Keith would betray them.

 

******

 

Allura stood before the Red lion. “You must choose a new paladin.”

The Red lion remained silent.

“You must. He’s not fit to be your paladin, he’s the very same as those we fight against.”

The lion was silent.

“Please Red lion, you must understand. A Galra has no place as a paladin of Voltron.” She winced when the Black lion roared. Allura was startled by the sudden roar, stepping back in fright before she sent it a wary look. “Not anymore.” She countered.

The Black lion growled in discontent even as it fell still once more. Allura looked to each of the lions who were now silent. None of them indicating that they agreed with her.

“You have to understand. The Galra only destroy things, everything they touch.” Allura pleaded with them. “They destroyed Altea, my people my father the king...Zarkon has conquered world after world and we must stop him! We cannot do that with a Galra among us.”

The lions remained silent.

 

******

 

It took a little while for Shiro to track down the princess, Lance had failed to do so and ended up bothering Pidge and Hunk who were going through records about Galra. Leaving them to it, Shiro wandered the castle his legs bringing him back to the hanger where he found Allura.

She was knelt down before the lions, her hands clasped in front of her chest as if she was praying to them.

“Princess?”

Her head jerked up, twisting to stare back at him. Tears were streaming down her cheek even as she called out to him. “Shiro...The lions, Red refuses to listen.”

Shiro glanced towards the Red lion, it was stock-still among the other Lions giving no indication that it had been listening to whatever Allura had been saying before he arrived.

“Red chose Keith.” Shiro stated simply as he came to stand beside her. “I don’t think she chose wrong.”

“He’s Galra.” There was pain and anger in her voice.

Looking down at her Shiro nodded. “He is, but he didn’t know that princess. Keith was raised on Earth just like the rest of us, he’s just as human as we are.”

“He’s not though, can’t you see he’s of Galran blood. He will turn against us, he will fall into their ways and take the Red-lion to Zarkon.”

Shiro and Allura both tensed when the Red lion roared. 

Shiro sighed as he stared at the robotic lion. “I don’t think she agrees with you princess.”

“She must choose a new paladin.” The princess was adamant when she stated it.

“Princess, are you afraid of Keith?” 

She looked startled to hear such a question from him, but Shiro simply continued. “Or is it that you’re afraid of Galra because of what they’ve done to you?”

She frowned, her gaze falling to the floor.

“Keith wasn’t there when all of that happened. He wasn’t even alive, he shouldn’t be blamed for what the Galra have done. His blood doesn’t make him Galra, not in my eyes at least. I trust him, princess, the Lions trust him...I think you need to stop thinking of Keith as Galra and start thinking of him as Keith.” Shiro turned and walked away, leaving the princess to her own thoughts. He couldn’t sway her any more than the others could, but at least now he could say that he had done what little he could to make her think things a little bit clearer.

 

*******

 

Keith fell to the ground when the pod opened, disorientated, utterly confused not only to find himself on a floor but which floor. Looking around Keith recognized the medbay right away, he was in the castle. His heart started pounding as he scrambled to his feet, Shiro, Shiro must have brought him back to the castle. Right, he was sick, heatstroke from the desert. Frowning Keith brought his hand up, the one which had been burned by the druid and exposed to Quintessence. 

It was healed, not surprising since he’d been in the cryo pod, however, it was the purple that he had feared would remain that had him sucking in a startled breath. Keith’s eyes traveled the length of his arm, up to his shoulder, his fingers clawed at his body suit. Keith winced when he felt a pinching sensation at the same time as the suit tore, pulling his hand back Keith’s eyes widened. The sight of his own blood, his purple blood staining his fingertips was startling enough to see once more. The realization that his fingertips weren’t fingertips any longer but were instead clawed had him letting out a startled noise. 

“No.” He rasped.

Racing forward toward the wall near the door, a mirror, Keith paused and took in his new appearance. His eyes watered as he took a shuddering breath, he had three scratches that were bleeding from where his claws had torn his body suit and the skin below. The flesh that was revealed beneath was just as purple as the rest of him, his skin no longer the golden brown from his time in the desert. 

Keith stilled when he saw through his opened mouth that his flat teeth had a sharper edge to them, fangs. He had fangs, like any other Galra. His hair was the same black as it always had been, but he hardly had to twist his head to see that his ears had also changed. Rather than the round pink lobes that he was used to, now he had a pair of what could only be described as fluffy tapered ears. The same cat-like ears that the majority of the Galra had, they twitched when he reacted to the sight of them. He could move his ears, that was not normal. Keith lowered his gaze, distraught to see how much he’d changed from his time in the pod. 

Keith twisted sharply when his eyes caught sight of something, turning Keith nearly fell over as his hand shot out to grasp the object only to wince when it hurt. His eyes widened in shock as he saw why that was, he was holding a tail. His tail. Keith let go of it so fast he might as well have still been burned. Panting, Keith fell to the floor on his knees, shaking his head back and forth. No, no he couldn’t be this. He couldn’t be Galra, not like this...The others. Keith’s head came up in fright if the saw this...Saw him like this. His heart ramped up even further, what would they do when they saw him now? What would the princess do when she saw him? 

Scrambling to his feet, Keith tore out of the medbay. His mind in a whirl as to what he should do, he couldn’t go to his room. They would find him there easily and he didn’t want to take Red from the castle, she didn’t belong to him anymore, but there were other pods in the hanger. Keith could leave, leave before anyone saw him, saw what he had become. Dashing down the hallway, Keith was relieved to know that it was so early, he must have been in the pod all night. The others wouldn’t rise for a while yet, plenty of time for him to leave the castle. Keith knew they wouldn’t give chase so long as he didn’t take Red and Keith had no intentions of doing that. 

Running into the hanger Keith darted for the pods across from the lions, Stumbling when Red rumbled. Turning to stare up at the lion watching him, Keith shook his head.

“You gotta stay here girl, gotta find a new paladin.” He gasped as he held up his hands. “Look, look at me. I’m-I’m one of them, you can’t have a Galra as your pilot.” Keith shook his head back and forth, sending a look towards Black. “That never ends well.”

Twisting sharply Keith made to run to the pods only to pause before it when he heard a noise from behind. Turning Keith’s eyes widened when he saw the Black lion looming over him.

“Black?”

Keith screamed when the lion lunged forward its maw opening wide to swallow him. Tumbling into the cockpit Keith groaned, wincing as he had to adjust how he was sitting. His tail flicking limply beside him once he was no longer laying on the kinked appendage.

“Ow...Seriously Black?”

The lion rumbled even as she moved back into position with the other lions.

Climbing to his feet, rubbing his sore neck and spine Keith glanced around his eyes widened when he realized just where he was. 

“Oh, no. I am not staying in here!” He hissed. “Do you know what they’re going to think if they find me inside you? They’ll think I was trying to take you back to Zarkon!” The hissing noise that left him startled the teen. Swallowing tensely Keith beseeched the lion. “Black, I am not your paladin. Shiro is and frankly, I really don’t feel comfortable being in here even if I wasn’t turning into a glorified space cat.”

The lion rumbled but didn’t do anything else, no sign of it releasing him. Keith slumped against the wall at the lion's refusal to release him.

“Black...What do you want from me?”

 

*******

 

When the castle came awake it was in the normal slow manner that they’d all grown accustomed to, the paladins had come together in the mess hall. Hunk had put together something for them all to eat and they were waiting on Coran and the princess to dig in. Coran had stated that he wished to check on Keith as they didn’t know when the boy would wake up. The princess had gone to the helm to make sure that they were still on course.

All of them looked up in surprise when Coran came running in. “He’s gone!”

The chaos that resulted had food and chairs going everywhere as they all scrambled to the door, stopping in the bare nick of time as the Princess ran past them. They followed.

“Princess?”

“The lions!”

Dread crept up Shiro’s spine if Keith had left with Red again or worse convinced the other lions to follow. He shook his head, no Keith wouldn’t do that. 

The group filed into the hanger only to sigh in relief when they saw all the lions together. Princess Allura frowned. “I don’t understand...Why hasn’t he taken Red?”

Shiro sighed. “Because he didn’t intend to.” He replied shortly, turning to Hunk the Black paladin asked. “Can you go check his room?”

Hunk nodded, racing off to do just that. Looking towards Lance, Shiro asked. “Go check the training room.”

“Right.” Lance nodded, tearing off on his own mission. 

Pidge didn’t wait for any instructions as she ran across the hanger, Shiros confused call of her name had her shouting back. “He might have taken another pod!”

Shiro ran after her, sighing in relief when she muttered. “All accounted for.”

“Good...So he’s somewhere in the castle.”

“Where? Where could he be?” Allura asked with no small sense of dread. 

“I’m sure he just went to his room, he was probably tired...The pods don’t really make up for sleep.” Pidge explained.

“She is right.” Coran nodded. “He would have been tired.” 

Allura nodded slowly even as her gaze settled once more on the lions who were undisturbed. Lance came running back into the hanger not a minute later, shaking his head.

“No sign of him there.”

“Not surprising, he just got out of a pod.” 

Lance laughed at Pidge. “It’s Keith, he doesn’t stop for nobody.”

Shiro smirked as the two began to squabble about why Keith would and wouldn’t decide to go straight into the training room after waking. He turned when Hunk came panting back into the hanger, the Yellow paladin garnered everyone's attention.

“Nothing.”

Shiro frowned. “Where could he have gone?”

“Are we sure he’s not hiding in Red?”

They glanced to Lance who was staring up at the Red lion. “I mean...Technically it's a good hiding place.”

Allura turned to Shiro once more, knowing what she was about to ask of him Shiro shook his head. “We’ll see if Red won’t open on her own...I don’t think Keith plans to leave again...If he had he would have already.” Walking across the hanger to stand in front of the Red-lion, Shiro hadn’t even managed to say the lion's name before it was kneeling down and opening its maw.

“Okay...That was fast.” Lance muttered.

Shiro nodded even as he climbed into the lion, he stared at the empty cockpit for a moment before asking the lion. “Where is he Red?”

The lion rumbled back at him, no hint to where the missing paladin might be. Sighing Shiro turned around and left the lion shaking his head.

“Wait, he wasn’t in there?!” Hunk stated in surprise. “Where could he go?”

“The castle is big.” Pidge reasoned. “He probably didn’t want us assuming that he was going to take Red.”

Lance huffed. “So he’s hiding in some air duct?”

She glowered back at him. “No...He’s more than likely hold up in one of the spare rooms.”

They all looked towards Allura as the princess stated. “There are plenty of places for him to hide...Just as there are plenty of places on the castle that could be altered, damaged.” The implication that Keith would harm the castle and by extension them had Shiro frowning.

“No, Keith wouldn’t do that.”

Allura sent him a look that stated she didn’t believe him. “We won’t know for sure until we scan the castle. Pidge could you be of assistance.”

The smallest paladin nodded. “Sure.” She made to follow after the princess and Coran, shooting Shiro a confused look.

He shook his head if they located Keith by checking the systems of the castle ship then fine. Turning to stare at Red who was once more standing beside the other lions Shiro mused.

“Where would you go?”

“Who knows...He’s an odd one, hey do you think Keith’s still purple?”

Shiro glanced towards the Blue paladin. “I don’t know Lance, but his skin color is the least of our worries.”

“But it is one of them right?” Hunk countered.

Shiro nodded. “We’ll worry about that after we find him.”

Lance rocked back and forth on his heels. “Where would he go to hold up? I mean in the garrison he had a knack for climbing up onto the various roofs.”

Shiro chuckled. “Yeah, I know.” He frowned a moment when he felt Black stirring in the back of his mind. She was trying to get his attention, glancing towards the lion, Shiro frowned. He was quickly drawn back towards the other paladin's conversation.

“He can’t do that here...Unless he went outside that is, but he can’t do that not without a suit.”

“Does he have one?” Lance countered.

The two paladins stared back at each other a moment.

“Why don’t you two go check that out.”

The teens nodded, a conversation about Keith’s skin tone popping up as they walked away from the hanger. Twisting about Shiro frowned at Black, approaching the lion he questioned.

“What do you want Black?”

The lion rumbled, leaned down and opened its jaws. Shiro trusted his lion and because he did, Shiro climbed into the jaws to see what she wanted.

 

******

 

Shiro wasn’t sure what he was expecting upon entering the lion, but it wasn’t what he got. Carefully, Shiro crept around to stare at the occupant in his pilot’s chair. It was Keith...But it wasn’t.

“What in the-” Shiro’s eyes trailed across the sleeping figures form. Latching on almost immediately to the limp tail that was hanging from the side of it as Keith lay sprawled across the armrests of the chair. His face curled into the backing, Shiro could see for himself the changes in the boy's ears as they stood out against the frame of his face and a glance down had him frowning. There was purple blood, Keith’s blood on his chest. 

Maneuvering around to stand directly in front of the sleeping figure, Shiro did his best not to wake the teen. He could see three scratches displaced by tears in his body suit, they weren’t deep but they were the cause of the blood. A glance down to the boys folded arms and he saw what had caused them, Keith's fingertips were clawed now. Keith’s human traits appeared to be utterly gone, leaving behind a being that had he not known Shiro would have assumed to be Galra.

Staring back up at Keith’s sleeping face, Shiro frowned. “What are you doing in here?” It was the startling realization that there was no way for Keith to have entered Black without her permission that had Shiro questioning the lion.

“Black?”

The lion surprised him by roaring. Shiro jumped back from the startling noise and the startled hiss that came from Keith as he jumped in the chair. Shiro groaned as he hit his head on the roof, while Keith groaned from falling out of the chair. They both froze when they realized the other was aware of their presence.

Keith tilted his head to the side, unlike the rest of his features that had morphed into that of a Galra his eyes were the same. “Shiro.” Keith’s ears perked up in surprise.

Shiro rubbed the back of his head, unsure how best to go about this. “Keith.” He blinked in surprise when the teen got to his feet pretty darn fast despite the tight confines around the chair. Keith was standing directly opposite of him now. The pilot chair for Black between them. Keith’s posture showed how uncomfortable he was and if  it wasn’t obvious his Galra features made it obvious.

“Are you okay?” Shiro asked carefully as he lowered his hand from the back of his skull, his head still hurt but he knew the worst he’d have was a goose egg.

Keith seemed to shift nervously, his ears flicked as if searching for any sounds that might indicate what Shiro had planned. It was the sudden movement to the side that garnered Shiro’s attention. The boys tail was flicking back and forth, not unlike what a cat would do when wary. Keith followed his gaze before his hand whipped out to snatch up his tail tucking it between himself and the chair to keep it from view, he winced from grabbing it too hard.

“Are you hurt?” Shiro took a step forward only to still when Keith hissed at him.

“Damn it.” Keith growled, an actual growl to his voice.

Shiro watched the teen for a moment, trying to figure out what was going on in the teens head. “Keith, are you alright? You wi-”

“It hurts.” The teen bit out with a shake of his head, his ears pinned tightly to his head as he refused to meet Shiro’s gaze.

“What hurts?”

Keith was silent at first before he drew the hand still clasping his tail up enough for Shiro to see rather than admit it.

“Your tail?”

Keith winced upon hearing Shiro acknowledge his new appendage. Shiro frowned at the skittish teen, sighing he reminded himself that patience yields focus and he just had to take his time with Keith. He was just as new to this as Shiro was, more so since it was his body.

“Okay...Does it hurt because it’s...New?”

Keith shook his head, a moment later he admitted. “I grabbed it too hard.”

“Oh.” Shiro blinked. “Okay.”

Keith huffed at the lame response from his friend, his ears loosening their hold on his skull to perk up a bit. “It doesn’t hurt...I woke up with it.”

“So it happened while you were asleep in the pod, do you feel alright?”

Keith met his gaze for the first time, glaring back at him while baring his teeth, his ears flattening in agitation as he barked out. “I have a tail!”

Shiro raised his hands. “Right...Sorry.”

Keith twisted his head away sharply, a gesture so like Keith that it brought a smile to Shiro’s face. “Look, it’s...New, but we can deal with it.” He didn’t get a reaction for that. “Anything else I should know about? Other than the tail...Claws or-Ea”

“Shut up Shiro.”

Sighing the Black paladin asked. “Fine, why don’t you tell me why Black let you in?”

Keith growled a noise that had a shiver going up Shiro’s spine just before the teen bit out sharply as he faced Shiro once more with a haughty glare. “She didn’t! She snatched me up off the hanger floor and refused to let me go!”

Shiro blinked. “She kidnapped you?”

Keith huffed.

“Like kidnapped you...Out of the blue.” 

Keith glared back at him, the fur of his ears rising as he lost his temper. “Well, I sure didn’t climb in here on my own.”

Giving a nod, Shiro glanced around the cockpit of Black. “Black, why did you le-” He settled his gaze on Keith, clearing his throat he tried again. “Uh-Why did you kidnap Keith?” Shiro frowned when he got feedback from the lion, a flash of an image of Keith before an escape pod. Scowling he leveled his gaze back on Keith.

“You were running.”

“Huh?” Keith’s ears came upright as he tilted his head. 

“You were running, towards a pod.”

Keith ducked his head a bit, his ears falling flat against his head as he looked away like a chastised child. “Oh...She show you that?”

“Yes.” Shiro’s voice held a bite to it. “You were going to leave the castle.” The accusation had Keith nodding his head, it was his turn to lamely reply. “I have a tail.”

“So?!”

Keith dropped his hold on his tail in order to duck down closer to the chair. “That’s not normal.” He hissed back, his ears and tail displaying clearly how he felt about it.

Shiro waved his arms in the air. “We’re piloting giant robotic lions, Keith!” He pointed to his own prosthetic limb. “I have an arm from the Galra, none of this is normal!”

Keith had to admit, Shiro wasn’t wrong.

“Fine, this isn’t normal for me.” He amended.

Shiro took a deep breath. “That’s no reason to leave.”

“Allur-”

“She’ll get used to it.”

Keith straightened himself out a bit to stare back at him like he was stupid. Shiro shook his head.

“Maybe not right away.”

Keith snorted.

“It might take a while, but she will.”

Keith pointed with a claw-tipped finger towards his swaying tail. “I’m purple and I have a tail.” He stated in a flat tone of voice as if it was still escaping the man’s notice.

“I can see that.” Shiro smirked.

“I’m Galra.”

Shiro shook his head. “You might be Galran, but you’re nothing like the Galra we’ve been fighting.” He was adamant in stating that, his voice firm.

Keith looked away. “I don’t think the others will see it that way.”

“Maybe not...At least at first, but I do.” Shiro smiled when Keith glanced back at him. “How about we go and find the others and try to get adjusted.”

Keith muttered. “I’m good here thanks.” Before tucking himself further behind the pilot's chair as if it alone could shield him from Shiro’s idea.

Shiro chuckled. “You can’t hide in Black Keith.”

“She obviously doesn’t feel that way since she kidnapped me.” Keith countered only to wince when Black roared. “Fine.” He bit out when it appeared the Black lion was done sheltering him. “I’ll go to Red.”

They both turned when Red made a growl like noise and didn’t put her head down as if to accept her paladin. She stayed sitting up like the rest of the paladin.

“Traitor.”

Shiro chuckled. “Come on, even the lions are saying you have to go out there. You have to adjust sooner or later.”

Keith gave him a haughty look. “I’m still in Black, so I’m going to go with lat-” Keith didn’t get to finish his sentence before both he and Shiro were forcefully ejected from the lion's cockpit, tumbling roughly on the hanger floor. Shiro grunted as he leveraged himself up on his elbows from where he had landed on his stomach. Keith was sprawled out a few feet in front of him.

“I hate your lion.” Keith didn’t even bother to move as he muttered that into the floor.

Chuckling Shiro slowly climbed to his feet, dusting himself off Shiro crossed the gap between them and waited. Keith twisted his head to stare up at him with an irritated expression, his tail lashing across his legs.

“Come on Keith.” Shiro held out a hand offering to help the paladin up.

Keith’s glare faded as he stared at Shiro’s hand, his tail fell limp at the same time his ears tucked in, he turned his head away from the offered hand. Getting to his feet under his own power, Shiro frowned as he let his hand fall back to his side. Shiro offered what he hoped was a reassuring smile to the teen who was refusing to maintain eye contact with him.

“You ready?”

“No.” Keith hissed. “Not that the lions or you appear to care.”

Shiro sighed. “Keith.”

Huffing Keith’s tail lashed back and forth, demanding. “I want some clothes.” He was still in his flight suit and despite being in the castle he was beginning to feel cold.

“Alright, let's stop by your room.”

Keith gave a jerky nod, giving one last look over his shoulder toward Red before sighing and leading the way. Shiro walked silently beside him, occasionally taking notice of how the boys Galra features were reacting. Keith's tail would lash back and forth while at the same time Keith’s ears kept coming to attention only to flatten a bit against his head a moment later. clearing his throat a bit Shiro informed Keith.

“You do know that Pidge is going to ask a lot of questions.”

Keith tensed a bit, his hears twitching before he muttered. “I know.”

“She won’t mean to upset you.” He tacked on.

“Then she shouldn’t ask.” Keith bit out.

Shiro sent a concerned look towards his friend, but let the subject drop for now. Shiro paused at the door to Keith’s room. “I’ll wait here.”

Keith snorted. “Not like I can burrow through the walls to escape.” He entered without waiting to see Shiro’s reaction.

Shiro let out a long drawn out sigh as the door to Keith’s room shut, he waited patiently for Keith to come back out. It took far longer than he knew it would take Keith to get dressed, but Shiro didn’t press him. When the door did finally come open, Keith was in his casual wear. His Jacket tucked in tightly to his body as he stared at the floor.

“Keith?”

The teen shook his head forcefully. “I hate this.”

Shiro gave a silent nod. “I know.” Testing the waters, Shiro cautiously placed his hand on Keiths back. The teen tensed, his back rigid before relaxing as Shiro’s hand stayed in place. 

Smirking when he wasn’t shoved aside the Black paladin asked. “You hungry?”

Keith huffed. “No.”

“You haven’t eaten anything and the pod might have fixed the dehydration but-”

“Shiro.” 

The Black paladin sighed when his name was uttered in an annoyed tone. “Alright.” 

Gently ushering Keith forward, the pair headed towards the bridge. They were only halfway there when Keith spoke, breaking the awkward silence.

“This is really uncomfortable.”

“Huh?” Shiro sighed, dropping his hand from the teens back figuring he had overstepped.

Keith shook his head when he realized why Shiro had suddenly gone stiff and removed his hand. “Not that...I need different clothes.”

“What for?” 

Keith refused to meet his eyes even as he whispered. “My tail.”

Shiro blinked a few times before it dawned on him, Keith's tail didn’t really conform to normal clothing. “Oh...Right. Are you okay?”

“It’s uncomfortable.” Keith reiterated with more bite in his voice.

Smiling Shiro promised the teen. “I’m sure we can make some adjustments.”

Keith gave a silent nod even as Shiro glanced to see how kinked the teens tail might be. He frowned when he didn’t spot the new appendage swaying behind the teen as before.

“Uh, Keith?”

“What?”

“Where is it?” Keith twisted to stare at him with a firm glare, his ears pinned tightly against his head. Shiro colored. “Uh...I just meant-Never mind.” Shiro shook his head.

Rolling his eyes at how flustered Shiro had gotten, Keith jerked his jacket out of the way to show that the tail was wrapped around his waist.

“Huh...Guess that works.”

“It really doesn’t.” Keith informed him as he shoved his jacket in place and resumed his pace towards the bridge.

Chuckling Shiro reassured the teen. “We’ll figure something out.”

Keith let out a huff of air as he walked silently beside Shiro, his shoulders tensing the closer they got to the bridge, his Galra features on display as his unease increased.

“Keith...I know this might be hard, but take a few breaths.” Shiro sent the tense teen a look. “Going in there like...That might just look a bit. Hostile.”

Keith froze, turning to stare at him in surprise. His ears perked up as his tail stilled, Shiro smiled.

“That’s better.”

Keith scowled and his ears went back against his head.

Chuckling Shiro commented. “We’ll work on it.” Shiro ignored the hiss that was accompanied by pointed teeth that Keith leveraged at him in reply. Pulling the Red paladin along, Shiro smirked to himself when he heard Keith snort in annoyance even as Keith fell in line with him. 

When they came to the doorway that led into the bridge, Shiro was forced to stop beside Keith as the teen paused just shy of the opening.

“Keith.”

Keith had tucked his ears once more, wrapping his arms around himself as if to shield himself from whatever lay ahead.

“Come on Keith, I’ll be right there.”

Keith’s eyes darted to him a moment before returning to the floor. He gave a jerky nod and allowed Shiro to gently pull him along into the room. 

 


	4. The Red Paladin

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Shiro shows Keith that he has far less to worry about than the teen might have thought up.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hey everyone here is the last chapter of A wolf in sheep's clothing. I needed to post it early because my mom was admitted to the hospital on Thursday so I've been a bit busy with all of that. Seeing as I had a few moments to myself I wanted to quickly post this for you guys that way you wouldn't have to wait. 
> 
> I hope you all enjoy the last chapter, it was a lot of fun to write this fic and I have more in the works. Leave a comment or kudo to let me know what you thought of it.

The silence was deafening.

Keith had never felt so small as he did at that moment, he’d clenched his eyes closed and did his best to tune out the shocked noises coming from his friends by plastering his ears against his head. His tail tightened around his waist as his clenched fists stung with the pain of his claws piercing his own flesh. 

Shiro put up a hand to try and contain the paladins who were causing an uproar upon seeing Keith react, Shiro had to use his free hand to grab a hold of Keith’s shoulder when the teen took a step backward as if he planned to flee. Holding Keith in place, Shiro turned his attention towards the waiting group who were still murmuring a variety of questions.

“Give him a minute...It’s kinda hard to adjust.”

“What more proof do you all need?” Allura asked in a wary tone as she stared down Keith despite the Galra having not turned to look her way.

The paladins turned to stare at the princess, waiting to see what the princess would do. She stayed where she was standing, a deep frown on her face that was directed solely at Keith.

“Princess, Keith isn’t a danger to us or anyone else for that matter.” Shiro spoke up even as he tightened his hold on the teen's jacket when Keith jerked a bit more under his hold.

“Where’d you find him?” She asked disregarding his previous statement.

Shiro glanced from her to Keith and then with a sigh turned his attention back to Allura. “All that matters is that I found him.”

She frowned. “Where? What was he doing?”

Keith gritted his teeth, his fangs slipping a bit around his other teeth due to their odd shape. Hating the need to have Shiro speak on his behalf, hating that the princess was insinuating he was doing something evil. Keith lifted his head and hissed at her, startling everyone.

“I was asleep alright!”

The group pulled back startled by the boy's hiss, Keith twisted his head away when he saw them jerk back. Shiro sighed, things just kept escalating and it was easy to see that Allura wasn’t going to keep her comments about the Galra to herself, let alone not include Keith in that description. The same could be said for Keith, he wasn’t going to make this easy on anyone by being so quick to anger. Keith was touchy about the subject, rightfully so since his entire body had just transformed but Shiro couldn’t allow his attitude to slide.

“Keith, that’s enough.”

Keith bristled but didn’t say anything. Nodding when it appeared that Keith was going to hold his tongue, even if it was just, for now, Shiro turned his attention back to the paladins.

“As you can see the markings changed.”

“Uh...That’s more than markings Shiro. He’s got ears!” Lance pointed sharply towards Keith’s head as if it wasn’t obvious to the rest of them. 

Keith hunched into himself when he heard Lance state point out his new appendages. 

“And like, completely purple...Not a little purple, all of-”

“We get it.” Pidge elbowed Lance with a scowl.

Lance made an oomph noise and rubbed his side, scowling down at the girl who had already moved away from him in order to approach Shiro and Keith. She stopped a few feet ahead of them, staring at Keith curiously.

“Keith.”

Keith lifted his gaze to stare at her before jerking his head to the side as if he was afraid of witnessing the bad reaction he expected.

Pidge smiled undeterred by the other teen's reaction. “I would really like to ask a lot of questions...but I’m guessing you know that already.”

Keith let out a huff, his ears flickering like his mood.

“Were you going to run with Red?”

Keith gritted his teeth. “No.” He grit out.

“Okay.”

Keith’s ears went up in shock when he suddenly had a pair of arms wrapped around him, Pidge hugging him. Looking down at the girl Keith stood stalk still a moment before frantically looking to Shiro as if to ask for his help. Shiro smirked back at him and being the unhelpful man he was shrugged. 

Keith glared, his ears plastering back against his skull even as Pidge released him and pulled away. Upon seeing Keith glaring at Shiro, Pidge smirked up at him and stated. “They’re very informative.”

“Huh?” Keith's ears perked up in his confusion not that he appeared to notice.

She sighed even as she had to inform him. “You’re ears...They’re informative...It’s easy to see how you’re feeling.”

Keith’s ears went back against his head.

“See.” She pointed with a smile. “Like that.”

Keith sighed and with a tired tone muttered. “Stop.”

Pidge gave a nod when irritation began to filter into Keith’s tone. “Fine, but later I want to know stuff.”

“Fine.” The teen agreed in an annoyed tone.

Pidge smiled back at Shiro who was smothering his own chuckling as he watched Pidge single handily wear Keith down.

“Uhh...Can she do that?”

“I think she already did.” 

Lance glanced towards Hunk. “Yeah, but I mean...It’s Keith.”

Hunk gave him a sidelong look. “I think that was her point.”

Groaning Lance pointed a finger at Keith garnering his attention. “I don’t care if you are a purple space cat, you’re still just as much a loser as before and I can beat you piloting any day.”

Keith huffed and with a roll of his eyes muttered. “Thanks.”

Lance nodded, pleased with himself. “And I’m not forgiving you for running off in Red, Blue took me to this hellish planet looking for your runaway ass.”

Keith rolled his eyes once more at the dramatic teen's plight. “Sounds horrible.” The lack of emotion in his tone had Pidge chuckling.

“It actually was.” Hunk commented. “They were pretty nasty planets.”

Keith stared back at Hunk. “I didn’t take you there.” He reasoned. “Talk to your lion.”

“Yes, we must do that.”

All eyes turned to Allura, it didn’t take her more than a moment to explain herself. “We must speak with the Red lion about this.”

Keith’s ears fell flat as he took a cautious step back, he glanced to his side in surprise when Shiro laid a hand on his shoulder and Pidge grabbed his forearm to keep him in place.

“Let’s go talk with Red.” Pidge said with a smile, no doubt lacing her face or voice. “I’m sure she’ll be happy to see you again.”

Keith snorted at the optimistic girl. “So long as I don’t have to deal with Black.” He sent a scathing look towards Shiro who raised his hands in defeat.

“Wasn’t me.”

“What did you do with the Black lion?”

Keith sent an irritated look towards the princess who was once more accusing him of something, unable to hold his tongue Keith retorted. “I took her for a joyride.”

“A joyride? Wh-”

The teens laughed at Keith's sass, Shiro shook his head even as he nudged Keith back towards the doorway. “Come on.”

Keith chuckled as he was pushed forward by Shiro. “She asked.”

“I know.” It was said in an exasperated manner which had Keith smirking, he knew that tone well.

Pidge fell in line on the other side of Keith just as the others trailed behind them. It was a relatively short walk to the hanger and in that time Lance had pulled ahead putting his hand on Pidges shoulder in order to talk over her not once but three times. Each comment more daunting than the last and Keith was beginning to think that the Blue paladin was doing it just to see his ears move since Lance tended to laugh even if he didn’t get a reply from him. 

Keith’s ear twitched when Lance leaned forward on Pidge again despite the girl shoving against him.

“Hey...So, can you like hea-”

Keith elbowed Lance, shoving him forcefully off of Pidge while simultaneously growling. “I wish I couldn’t hear your annoying questions, now knock it off!”

Lance huffed, holding up his hands even as he smirked. “You know you love me.”

Keith rolled his eyes, sending Shiro an annoyed look. The Black paladin smiled before calling back to Lance. “That’s enough Lance, I’m sure we’ll have time for questions later.”

“I didn’t agree to that.” Keith muttered as his ears plastered against his head, sending a scathing look towards Shiro only to wince a moment later.

“Technically you did.” Pidge piped up with a smile. “You said later...So later you’ll answer my questions.” She smiled while adjusting her glasses.

Keith muttered lowly. “I should have stayed in the lion.”

Shiro snorted. “You tried to remember?”

Keith hissed at him, Shiro lifted his hands up in surrender though he seemed far too amused to truly be afraid of Keith’s response. Keith huffed, twisting his head away from Shiro as his cheeks flamed upon registering the sound he’d just made. 

“Woah...You sound like a pissed off alley cat.” Lance croaked as he could barely catch his breath between laughing.

Keith tensed up, his ears burying themselves among his black hair as he spun around to take on Lance, Shiro put his arm in between the two teens giving a pointed look to Lance.

“Enough! This is a big adjustment for all of us, we don’t need to make things worse by nitpicking on each other.”

Lance was still cackling when both he and Hunk froze.

“Uh...Is that a tail?”

Keith’s anger fled in an instant as mortification crawled across his face upon realizing that he had forgotten to keep his tail wrapped around his waist. Keith ducked his head even as his ears bristled, his tail flicking sharply.

Shiro frowned when he saw Keith tuck into himself once his tail was revealed to the others, before things could get out of hand he advised them all. “Let’s just go talk to Red. Come on Keith.” Shiro wrapped an arm around the teen's shoulder and tried to urge him forward but Keith shook off his arm and walked faster ahead of the group. Tail lashing fiercely behind him as he stalked towards the hanger.

Shiro sent a displeased look towards Lance, the Blue paladin went silent. “What? He has a tail!” Lance waved his hand as if to point at Keith.

Pidge huffed, shaking her head as she ran past Shiro to catch up with Keith. 

Hunk sighed, shaking his head the Yellow paladin muttered. “He’s embarrassed by it.”

“Yes. He is.” Shiro replied coolly even as he maintained eye contact with Lance. “This is hard enough for him, he doesn’t need us poking fun at it.”

Lance gave a sheepish nod.

Allura and Coran had been eerily silent thus far but stood to the side watching the paladins interacting with one another. The notion that Keith was embarrassed by his heritage had Allurra frowning, why would a Galra care if his tail was seen? Glancing towards Coran, Allura questioned in a soft voice.

“Have you heard of a Galra ashamed of their ears or tail?”

Coran shook his head. “No princess, normally its the other way around...They are an attribute that they find great pride in.”

Allura frowned. “I see.”

Twisting back around Allura found that Shiro had taken control over the other paladins and was leading them to catch up with Keith and Pidge.

 

******

 

Keith was still bound tightly within his own body when they stumbled into the hanger, Pidge had refused to back off. Trailing faithfully at his side, though Keith had to take notice that she hadn’t asked any questions. His feet took him straight in front of the Red-lion, staring up at the mighty beast Keith shuddered under its steely gaze.

Pidge glanced from Keith to the lion, sighing she muttered. “I don’t think Red wants a new paladin...I mean if she did, wouldn’t she have just gotten one?”

Keith glanced towards her a look of confusion on his face.

Pidge nodded. “I don’t think the Lions would keep a paladin that didn’t meet their standards.”

Keith snorted. “Za-”

“That was after the fall of Voltron...His ties to the Black lion don’t mean that she’d choose him over Shiro. If anything I bet she would recognize that Zarkon wasn’t fit to be her paladin anymore.”

Keith sighed. “I don’t think it's the same thing Pidge.”

The girl rolled her eyes at his pessimistic attitude. “It’s similar enough, your both Galra.” Pidge winced when she saw Keith flinch away as if he’d been burned. Taking a breath she continued. “Though you’re not the kind to take over a universe.”

Keith turned to glare at her. “What?”

“Did you want to be? Cause you should probably try harder if that’s your goal...I really don’t think most Galra would think you were one...Despite appearances.” She smirked.

Keith huffed, a breath of air leaving him all in a rush. He startled when Pidge pushed past him in order to talk to Red.

“What do you think Red? Does he belong here?”

Keith flushed, both embarrassment and fear rattling his bones. Along with Pidge, they gazed up at the Red-lion who roared her answer, but she wasn’t alone. The the other lions one by one let out their own roar, Black trumping them all in a mighty roar that rattled the hanger.

Keith stumbled back in shock to what had just happened.

“They’ve never done that before.”

Keith and Pidge twisted about to see Allura standing in the middle of the others, staring in awe up at the lions.

“I didn’t do it.” Keith made sure to tell her.

Shiro chuckled. “You’re not in trouble Keith, this isn’t the garrison.”

“And if it were you’d be in trouble because that was a lame way to get out of trouble.” Lance countered.

Hunk chuckled. “Yeah, it was.”

Keith glared back at them. “That’s not funny.”

Shiro shook his head as he broke away from the others to stare up at the lions. “I think they spoke their peace about it.” Twisting his head to stare at Keith he asked. “What about you? Planning on going anywhere?”

Keith's ears plastered themselves tightly against his head as his tail whipped around. “I-I don’t know.” Keith cast a wary glance towards the princess.

Allura glanced down from the lions to meet Keith’s eyes, Keith looked away sharply as if he was afraid of what he’d find there. Allura frowned, carefully she walked forward approaching Shiro, Keith, and Pidge. When there was only a short gap between them did she address Keith.

“I do not yet understand why the lions accept you as they do...But despite my-” She glanced at Shiro a moment, reminded of their previous conversation. “Despite my fears of the Galra, I understand that being Galra does not make you one of them.”

Keith lifted his head to stare at her incredulously. “What?” His ears perking up as his brow furrowed.

Allura sighed. “I-I think it best if we...We try to adapt.”

Keith frowned. “But you hate Galra...I’m Galra.” He motioned to himself with a sharp hand, despite how much it hurt him to do so. Keith was under no illusions, he looked very much like a galra now. Despite having been raised on earth, he’d pass for one of Zarkon’s people easily.

Allura flinched. “Yes, I know.” She sighed as she took in the sight of the teen before her. The confident persona she’d come to expect from the Red paladin seemed overshadowed by his fear of their reactions and if she were to press things, a fear of himself.

Keith shook his head. “You wanted me to leave-”

“The Lions have spoken and no matter my own hesitations...I must respect their decision.” She cast a calculating look towards the Red lion. “She is just as stubborn as her paladin, maybe more than even I imagined.”

Shiro chuckled and couldn’t help himself. “Get to know Keith a bit better, you’ll figure out for yourself just how stubborn he really is.”

Keith turned to glare at Shiro, but the Black paladin was smiling back at him. “Not that it's a bad thing.” 

Keith snorted at the weak save, shaking his head Keith gave the princess a wary look. “Are you sure?”

Allura shook her head “No, I’m not.” She admitted freely. “But it’s not up to me anymore...The lions and your fellow paladins have spoken. The universe needs Voltron and you are a part of it.”

Keith still felt a sting upon hearing her distrust in him, but knowing that she wasn’t about to demand he leave did help sooth some of his doubts. After all, Keith was used to proving people wrong, he’d just have to do the same thing with the princess when it came to him being a Galra. Then again Keith still had to figure out how to be a Galra or something like it at least now that he looked the part.

“Okay.” The teen rasped back at her.

The atmosphere of the hanger was tense, despite there being some conclusion of Keith not leaving the castle it was obvious that things were still up in the air about Allura accepting Keith. His new found heritage and appearance was going to take a period of adjustment for everyone, more than likely Allura would take the longest to adapt.

“Does this mean we can eat now?”

Keith looked up to see Hunk glancing between everyone curiously. “I mean...I’m gonna have fix something again cause I’m sure everything gone cold and you don’t want to eat th-”

“I think its safe to eat breakfast now.” Shiro cut in with a smile.

“Good I’m starving.” Lance twisted about and started requesting a variety of items he had previously deemed as the best food choices. Hunk was already counteracting his argument as the pair drifted off back towards the kitchen.

Pidge sighed, muttering under her breath. “I better go help Hunk or we’re all going to end up eating that talskim sausage again.”

Shiro laughed as the Green paladin ran off, Coran following after her asking if that was really such a bad thing and what a good side dish would be for it. Pidge was already arguing that there wasn’t anything they’d yet come across that could dull the taste of the sausage from her tongue. 

Allura sighed, looking towards Shiro she spoke freely. “I cannot say that I won’t have...Moments of conflict with this. That I won’t speak poorly of the Galra.”

Keith snorted garnering both of their attention, Allura was frowning and that was what sparked Keith to actually speak up now that he had inadvertently put himself on the spot.

“You won’t hear me defending Zarkon if that’s what you’re worried about, trust me, princess, I don’t like the guy any more than you do.”

Allura huffed at the teen's statement. “Any concerns I have will not be swayed just because you do not sing his praises, finding a way to demean Zarkon for his crimes will no sooner absolve you of any treachery than if you were to remain silent.”

Keith nodded his head, going silent under her piercing gaze. Shiro sighed, intervening before anything else could happen now that it appeared that the pair were willing to talk to one another. Even if it wasn’t the nicest of conversations.

“Err...Thank you, princess, I’m sure that we’ll all adjust to the change soon enough.” Shiro gave Keith a look, one that clearly stated that it would be best that the other teen not say a word. Keith looked decidedly perturbed but didn’t do anything that would see the princess retaliating.

Allura nodded unaware of the silent conversation that had just transpired right in front of her, sending one last look to the lions before she turned to leave the hanger. Calling over her shoulder as she walked away. “You’re the Red paladin Keith, do not make her or I regret that.”

Keith flinched as he watched the princess walk away, he startled when a heavy hand landed on his shoulder. Glancing to Shiro he saw the taller man smiling.

“See things are...Better.”

Keith snorted dryly at the man’s optimism.

“Well, they’re better than when Black kicked you out of her cockpit.” Shiro countered with a knowing grin.

“That’s still up for debate.” Keith muttered while giving Shiro an irritated glare. “And I was happy to stay in the cockpit.”

“Wasn’t a choice.” 

Keith hissed back at Shiro only to turn away in a huff when Shiro chuckled a bit, feeling far more amused by his new vocalizations than offended. 

Keith was quiet a moment before deciding to change the topic and thus avoid any embarrassment. “I still need new clothes.”

Shiro didn’t begrudge the teen for wanting to change the topic, he knew Keith well enough to know that he was just trying to save face. Going with the flow of things he smirked. “Yeah...Guess you do, why don’t we sort out breakfast first?”

The Red paladin nodded. “Yeah, I’m kinda hungry.”

“Thought so.” Shiro walked on ahead, heading back into the heart of the castle and towards the mess hall.

Keith rolled his eyes as he chased after Shiro as the man had already moved off further ahead without waiting for him, coming to walk beside the older man Keith asked. “Are you really okay with this?”

“With what?”

Keith glared, his ears flattening when Shiro offered up a confused look his way. “Keith I don’t know what you’re talking about.”

Waving a hand at himself, Keith waited for Shiro to clue into what he was talking about. Shiro made an ‘Ah’ face before nodding.

“Ah. Yeah, I’m okay with you being you...I have known you for a while now.” The teasing tone had Keith groaning.

“Shiro.”

Chuckling the Black paladin wrapped an arm around the other man, pulling him in tight. “I don’t care what color your skin is or if you have ears.” Shiro glanced at the features on the boy he’d just addressed. “They’re just a part of you Keith and you haven’t changed even if your skin color has.”

Keith ducked his head a bit, a wry smile coming to his face upon hearing that Shiro wasn’t going to abandon him despite him suddenly becoming the same thing that had held Shiro hostage. “However, you should prepare yourself to answer all of Pidges questions.”

Keith snorted at the older man’s teasing. “I’m prepared to shove Lance out an airlock if he becomes a nuisance. That’s what I’m prepared to do.”

Shiro chuckled at the teen’s threat, he knew that Keith wouldn’t really do such a thing but it was still funny to hear. “I don’t think it will come to that.”

Keith twisted his head to stare at the man incredulously. “He almost died laughing because he realized that I had a tail!”

Shiro sighed only to frown when he actually felt Keith’s tail smack him which Shiro could only discern was an accident and not intentional by the teen who was still arguing with him. Keeping that little bit of information to himself Shiro advised the teen. “We’ll set some ground rules.”

Keith huffed, not in the least bit enthused to hear that. “Good luck with that.”

Shiro let that slide, choosing to try and focus Keith on something else. “You still have to answer Pidge’s questions though.”

“Fine.”

“And you can’t shove Lance out an airlock.” Shiro made a point of stating that while giving the teen a firm look, he shouldn’t have to state such a thing but Shiro knew better.

Keith was silent a moment. “Are you sure?” The skepticism in the teen's voice has Shiro sighing as they walked.

“Keith.”

Hearing his name spoken in that irritated yet fond manner only Shiro could accomplish, Keith muttered. “Fine.” Keith smirked to himself as he walked beside Shiro on their way towards the kitchen to meet up with everyone else. It wasn’t going to be an easy transition that was for sure, but his team had his back and that meant more to him than anything in the universe.

“Hey, Shiro?”

“Hmm?”

“Can I bite him instead?”

Shiro’s laughter rang down the hallways of the castle of lions. Keith didn’t get an answer from Shiro, but he took it as a yes. In the grand scheme of things being bitten by your galran teammate wasn’t nearly as bad as being shoved out an airlock. Keith was sure that Shiro would have his back on that, Pidge might even go along with it simply to sate her own curiosity. Maybe this new look of his wasn’t all that bad.   
  
  



End file.
